Al Jazeera journalists released after abduction in Yemen

he network said that reporter Hamdi Al Bokari and crew members Abdulaziz Al Sabri and Moneer Al Sabai were freed in Taez.

SANAA // Three Al Jazeera journalists who were abducted in Taez City have been released, the network said in a statement on Thursday as one of the released reporters accused Houthi rebels of being behind the kidnapping.

The network said that reporter Hamdi Al Bokari and crew members Abdulaziz Al Sabri and Moneer Al Sabai were freed.

Mr Al Bokari wrote on his Facebook page that he was abducted by Houthis and that they were subjected to “terrible mental torture” without elaboration.

Yemen’s civil war began when the Houthis took control of the capital, Sanaa, in September 2014. In March, the Arab-led coalition began air strikes and later, a ground operation to retake the country from the Houthis, who are allied with forces loyal to Yemen’s former president and have received support from Iran.

Journalists have been frequently targeted in Yemen’s conflict.

The province of Taez sits in the country’s rugged interior mountains and its nearly three million residents have been caught in fighting between Houthis besieging the city and pro-government fighters backed by heavy air strikes from the Saudi-led military coalition.

* Associated Press