More than 150 prisoners were swapped on Saturday between Ansarullah movement and the Saudi militias in Taez following mediation by local tribes, according to the chief mediator.

More than 150 prisoners were swapped on Saturday between Ansarullah movement and the Saudi militias in Taez following mediation by local tribes, according to the chief mediator.

Saudi-backed militiamen released 118 prisoners, while Ansarullah fighters who control most of the city's surrounding province freed 76, tribal chief Abdullatif al-Muradi said.

He said it was a local initiative unconnected to UN-brokered peace talks in Kuwait, according to local sources.

Those negotiations, now in their ninth week, have made no major breakthroughs, even on the prisoners issue.

Yemen has been since March 26, 2015 under brutal aggression by Saudi-led coalition.

Thousands have been martyred and injured in the attack, with the vast majority of them are civilians.

Riyadh launched the attack on Yemen in a bid to restore power to fugitive Hadi who is a close ally to Saudi Arabia.