ADEN, Yemen, March 9 (Xinhua) -- A prisoner swap between the government forces and the Houthi rebel group took place on Tuesday in Yemen's northeastern province of Marib, a military official told Xinhua.
According to a local military source on condition of anonymity, five soldiers were set free in exchange for the release of five Houthi rebels from government custody in the turbulent oil-rich province of Marib.
The official said the operation occurred following a local tribal mediation with participation of representatives from the two warring sides.
Yemen's local tribal mediators have more than once succeeded in completing prisoner exchanges between government forces and the Houthis in different areas of the war-torn Arab country.
Yemen has been mired in a civil war since late 2014 when the Iran-backed Houthi rebels seized control of several northern provinces and forced the Saudi-backed government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi out of the capital Sanaa.
The Saudi-led coalition intervened in the Yemeni military conflict in March 2015 to support Hadi's government. Enditem
