Egypt 'working to free citizens' detained in Yemen

The Egyptian nationals working in Yemen were detained last week in the governorate of al-Hudaidah, which is currently controlled by Houthi rebels, Egyptian foreign ministry spokesperson Ahmed Abu Zeid said in a statement on Monday.

He added that Egypt's ambassador in Yemen was in touch with Yemeni officials, including the parliament speaker and aid officials, as well as UN envoy Ould Cheikh Ahmed to ensure the quick release of the detainees.

The calls resulted in allowing the detainees to contact their families and legal representatives, Abu Zeid said.

Last week, local media reported that families of the detainees had been filing complaints and police reports claiming that their relatives had been abducted.

According to their accounts, the Egyptian nationals who had been working in Yemen for years were captured when they attempted to flee the war.

However, the ministry's statement dismissed reports of abduction, confirming that the Egyptian nationals had been working in different professions in Yemen for years before they were arrested and placed in pre-trial detention in Sanaa.

The ministry did not mention the reason behind the Egyptian nationals’ arrest.

More than 7,000 people have been killed and nearly 37,000 wounded since the conflict escalated after a Saudi-led military coalition, which includes Egypt, intervened in March 2015 to support the government of President Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi against Houthi rebels who took over the capital Sanaa in 2014.