(MENAFN- The Journal Of Turkish Weekly) Shiite Houthi militants have freed around 500 prisoners from a main prison in Yemen's southern Ad Dali city. "Around 500 prisoners were set free from the Central Prison in the Sannah district after Houthis seized control of the prison," an eyewitness told The Anadolu Agency on Saturday.
According to witnesses, forces loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh had handed over the prison to the Houthis, who later set the prisoners free.
There was no comment from Houthi leaders on the report.
Yemen has remained in turmoil since last September, when the Houthis overran capital Sanaa, from which they have since sought to extend their influence to other parts of the fractious country.
On March 26, Saudi Arabia and several Arab allies launched a military offensive against Houthi positions across Yemen.
Riyadh says the anti-Houthi campaign comes in response to appeals by President Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi to "save the [Yemeni] people from the Houthi militias."
The Houthis, for their part, consider the "Saudi-American onslaught" a "blatant violation of Yemeni territory."
Some Gulf States accuse Shiite Iran of supporting Yemen's Houthi insurgency.
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