(VOVworld) – On Sunday, Shiite Houthi rebels in Yemen released six foreigners who had been held hostage for the last six months.

A plane at the international airport in Sanaa on April 11, 2015 (photo:Mohammed Huwais, AFP)

 The hostages, who were detained earlier this year, include three Americans, two Saudis, and a British national. The Houthi media center refused to explain why they had detained the hostages.

Since last September, Houthi rebels have seized half of Yemen, including the capital city of Sanaa. Almost all foreigners left Yemen after Saudi-led air strikes hit Houthi targets in late March to restore the administration of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, who had been forced to flee Yemen and seek asylum in Saudi Arabia.