A prisoner swap was achieved successfully in the north of Lahj on Tuesday, between the southern armed forces and the Iranian-backed Houthi militia.
After months of negotiations between the two sides, five southern soldiers were released in return for 10 Houthi militants in al-Qabita of Lahj province, military officials told the local press.
The five southern soldiers were captured by the Houthi rebels at the southern border of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia five and half years ago. They were excluded from the U.N.-brokered prisoner exchange between the Yemeni government and the Houthis that took place last October.
Earlier this month, the southern armed forces and the pro-Iran militia successfully conducted a prisoner exchange of 28 prisoners from both sides under a tribal mediation.