The Yemen´s Houthi rebels unilaterally freed 153 war detainees Saturday, the International Committee of the Red Cross said, one of several overtures in recent days to ease tensions.
Previous prisoner releases have been viewed as a means to jumpstart talks over permanently ending Yemen's decade long war, which began when the Houthis seized the country's capital, Sanaa, in 2014.
However, the Houthis' release comes just after they detained another seven Yemeni workers from the United Nations, sparking anger from the world body.
Those released previously had been visited by Red Cross staff in Sanaa and received medical checks and other assistance, the organization said while announcing the release.