Daijiworld Media Network - Sanaa

Sanaa, Dec 6: Yemen’s internationally recognised government has transferred the bodies of 26 Houthi fighters to a local mediator, describing the move as a gesture of goodwill before the expected resumption of UN-sponsored negotiations.

State-run television reported on Friday that the handover took place under the supervision of the International Committee of the Red Cross. According to the government, the bodies belonged to Houthi members recently killed in sporadic clashes in the northeastern provinces of Marib and al-Jawf—areas lying east and northeast of the Houthi-held capital, Sanaa.

The state-run Saba news agency confirmed that the remains were released after the Houthi side verified the identities through the mediator.

Yahya Kazman, who heads the government’s negotiation committee, said the unilateral action was intended to boost progress on resolving long-standing issues involving detainees, abductees, and individuals who have gone missing. He added that the step precedes a new round of talks on detainees scheduled in the coming days with support from international partners.

The Houthi group has not yet issued a statement on the handover.

The development comes shortly after UN Special Envoy Hans Grundberg announced his participation in a mediation meeting in Muscat, suggesting a renewed push toward peace talks between Yemen’s rival parties.

The two sides have previously carried out major UN-brokered prisoner exchanges—one in 2023 involving around 900 detainees, and another in 2020 that saw roughly 1,000 prisoners released.

Yemen has remained mired in conflict since late 2014, when the Houthi group seized control of Sanaa and other key regions, forcing the internationally recognised government to relocate. While frontline fighting has eased significantly since a UN-mediated truce in April 2022, a comprehensive political settlement has yet to be achieved.