Yemen's government says the Iran-aligned Shiite rebels, known as Houthis, should release all detainees and captives held in their prisons ahead of peace talks.

The official news agency SABA quoted the government Sunday as saying that the Houthis should also hand over their arms and withdraw from all rebel-held areas including the capital, Sanaa, which they seized in September 2014.

The agency says Prime Minister Ahmed Obaid bin Daghr made the remarks in a meeting with the U.N. special envoy for Yemen, Martin Griffiths.

Last month, Griffiths announced plans to bring Yemen's warring parties to the negotiating table. He held several meetings with both sides since.