Yemen’s Huthi rebels free ex-president’s sons

SANAA - Yemen's Huthi rebels on Wednesday announced they had released two of slain ex-president Ali Abdallah Saleh's sons, 10 months after they were captured following their father's murder.

Salah and Medyen Saleh were pardoned by Mehdi Mushat, head of the rebels' supreme political council, and subsequently released, the rebel-run Saba news agency said.

It did not give further details.

Multiple political sources close to the late president said neighbouring Oman, which has remained neutral in the Yemen war, played a major role in brokering their release, which came on condition the two stepped down from Yemeni politics.

Ali Abdullah Saleh's party, the General People's Congress, has lost its power in the war between the Iran-backed Huthis and Saudi-led pro-government alliance, but continues to be a useful ally for Yemeni politicians seeking broader appeal.

Salah and Medyen Saleh were taken to Sanaa international airport Wednesday and were expected to leave for Jordan on a chartered UN flight, according to a source at the airport.

Sanaa international airport, controlled by the rebels, has been shut down for years. Saudi Arabia and its allies in a pro-government coalition control Yemen's airspace.

The Huthis had been allied with Saleh for three years when a political dispute erupted, with mutual accusations of treason leading to armed clashes in the capital and ultimately the ex-president's death at the hands of the rebels in December 2017.

Saleh had made overtures to Saudi Arabia in the weeks leading to his death.

The rebels are believed to still be holding relatives of Ali Abdallah Saleh, including one of his nephews.

The Huthis seized Sanaa in September 2014, triggering the outbreak of the Yemen conflict.

In the following months, they took control of large parts of the country, prompting the intervention of a regional coalition led by Saudi Arabia.

Nearly 10,000 people have been killed since the Saudi-led alliance intervened in 2015, according to the World Health Organization.

The actual death toll is likely much higher, according to rights groups.