SANA’A, Oct. 7 — The HOOD Organization for Defending Human Rights (HOOD), a NGO with a branch in Yemen, announced yesterday that a Syrian army group promised via independent mediators to release five Yemeni soldiers held captive since last year.

Jabhat Al-Nosr’a, an armed Syrian group that is not a part of the Syrian Free Army, claimed responsibility. They believed the captives, who were studying in Syria, to be supporters of the Syrian government.  

Abdul-Rahman Barman, the executive manager of HOOD, said they have been in communication with the Syrian rebel group.

“They told they have moved them to a safer location, under the supervision of the Free Army in Syria” Barman said.

He said the soldiers are healthy and unharmed.

HOOD delivered documentation proving the men are students.   

The Yemen Ministry of  Defense backed the claim that the five soldiers were not sent to Syria for any purpose other than study and have advocated for their release.    

“We are hopeful the soldiers will be released in the coming days because we have presented all the evidence that they are students there,” Barman said.