UN Envoy to Yemen Urges Exchange of Detainee Lists

The UN envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg (Reuters)
The UN envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg (Reuters)
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UN Envoy to Yemen Urges Exchange of Detainee Lists

The UN envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg (Reuters)
The UN envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg (Reuters)

The UN envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, called on Wednesday to expedite the exchange of the lists of prisoners and detainees to ensure their release under the agreement of last March.

According to a statement issued by Grundberg's Office, the government and the Houthi militias agreed to establish a joint team to verify the identity of the detainees and prisoners on each party's list.

"A proposal was put forward to form a committee that brings together both parties under a joint framework to support the process of verifying the identities of the names of detainees included in their respective lists, provided that agreement is reached on details following consultation with relevant authorities," read the statement.

It said that the parties agreed to intensify efforts to finalize and consolidate lists of detainees from all sides as soon as possible.

They also agreed to facilitate visits by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to detention centers to assist with verifying the identities.

The parties also agreed to establish a joint committee to support verifying detainees' identities in the lists.

A previous statement issued by the Office stated that the Supervisory Committee on the Implementation of the Detainees Release and Exchange Agreement concluded its sixth meeting in Amman following six days of discussions to identify the names of detainees who will be released based on the numbers agreed upon by the parties in March.

Grundberg asserted that he would intensify his "engagements with the parties to ensure the full implementation of all the parties' obligations in the truce."

The statement expressed Grundberg's regret that an agreement to release detainees and prisoners has not yet been completed, which leads to more suffering.

He hoped the lists would be finalized as soon as possible, with priority given to the unconditional release of sick, wounded, children, arbitrarily detained, political detainees, and journalists.



Syrian Army Takes Control of Tishrin Dam from SDF

Syria's Tishrin Dam. (File photo)
Syria's Tishrin Dam. (File photo)
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Syrian Army Takes Control of Tishrin Dam from SDF

Syria's Tishrin Dam. (File photo)
Syria's Tishrin Dam. (File photo)

Syrian army troops have deployed near the Tishrin Dam in the eastern countryside of Aleppo province, setting up military positions in what appears to be a step toward assuming control of the facility from the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

Pro-government broadcaster Syria TV cited an official source on Monday as saying the military had entered the outskirts of the Tishrin Dam area and established military outposts in preparation for a handover of the strategic site.

The dam, located near the city of Manbij, has been under the control of the Kurdish-led SDF, which played a key role in the fight against ISIS in northern Syria with the backing of the US-led coalition.

Syria’s transitional president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, and SDF leader Mazloum Abdi signed an agreement on March 10 aimed at integrating all civil and military institutions of the Kurdish-led autonomous administration in northern and northeastern Syria into the Syrian state.

Syrian authorities, the SDF, and Türkiye had reached an agreement, brokered by the United States, for the transfer of the Tishrin Dam to the Syrian government.

Under the deal, the military will deploy forces around the dam, while teams from Damascus have already begun maintenance and upgrading works on the facility.

The agreement aims to bring an end to the fighting that had erupted between Syrian factions loyal to Türkiye, which have integrated into the Syrian army, and the SDF. The clashes, which had persisted for over three months since December 12, have now subsided.

On Thursday, Türkiye’s Ministry of Defense announced that Ankara is closely monitoring the implementation of the agreement regarding the handover of the dam.

The deployment of Syrian forces around the dam comes amid reports of renewed tensions in the area, which had been relatively calm for nearly a month. Syria’s state-run Syria TV reported that the military had sent reinforcements to areas previously affected by clashes with the SDF.

Additionally, reports said the SDF and Syrian forces were on alert after Turkish drones launched an attack near the dam, following the death of a fighter from Türkiye-backed factions in the region. The situation continues to evolve as both sides remain on edge in the strategic area.