Yemeni interior ministry announced that the authorities would release hundreds of protesters detained over the 10-month unrest.

Yemeni interior ministry announced that the authorities would release hundreds of protesters detained over the 10-month unrest.

The exact number of protesters being held by the authorities was unknown, However, activists told the Reuters news agency that it could be as high as 1,400.

The decision to release all those detained in connection with the protests came three days after a new national unity government, headed by the senior opposition figure Mohammed Basindwa, took office.
It will serve until presidential elections are held in February.

Few weeks ago, embattled President Ali Abdullah Saleh agreed to step down, handing the power for his Vice-President, Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi. The move was a part of an initiative brokered by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

But many Yemenis remain skeptical about whether Saleh's family and associates are really prepared to relinquish their grip on power, and protesters continue to demand that Saleh be put on trial.

Meanwhile, violence is still taking place in Taez, where Saleh forces have been shelling the southern city and clashing with anti-saleh protesters and dissent army officers.