By Hussein Qabani

CAIRO

Egyptian authorities said Saturday 49 fishermen held by Houthi rebels in Yemen have been released.

The Foreign Ministry said in a statement the freed fishermen returned to their residence in Yemen’s southern Al-Hudaydah province.

“Measures are being finalized for their return to the homeland,” ministry spokesman Ahmed Abu Zeid said.

The spokesman said the fishermen were released after contacts with Yemeni and regional parties as well as UN envoy to Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed and the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Earlier this month, Egyptian authorities said 49 nationals had been held at a Houthi-run prison in the capital Sanaa.

Yemen has been racked by chaos since 2014, when the Houthis and their allies overran Sanaa and other provinces, forcing the Saudi-backed government to temporarily flee to Riyadh.