Oman secures release of Pinoy, 13 other foreigners held in Yemen —ministry

Oman has facilitated the release of 14 foreigners who were held in Yemen and transferred them from the Houthi-controlled Yemeni capital Sanaa to Muscat on Sunday, Oman's foreign ministry said. The people freed included a British man, his wife and child, seven Indian nationals, a Filipino, an Indonesian, an Ethiopian and a Myanmar national, the ministry added, without giving details of what had led to their detention. The ministry said that after communicating with Saudi Arabia to facilitate the issuance of the necessary permits, all 14 were transferred on an Oman Royal Air Force plane to the Omani capital, in preparation for their return to their countries. A Saudi-led coalition, which intervened in the Yemen war in March 2015 against the Iran-aligned Houthis, controls Yemen's sea and air space. Oman is not a member of the coalition. Earlier this month, the warring sides in Yemen's seven-year conflict agreed to a nationwide truce for the first time in years, under a UN-brokered deal. — Reuters

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