Forces loyal to Yemen's government and the Houthi militia conducted a prisoner swap following a tribal mediation in the country's southwestern province of Taiz on Wednesday, a security official said.

Six Houthi fighters held by the pro-government Yemeni forces were released in exchange for five soldiers captured by the Houthis during the previous battles in Taiz, the local military source said on condition of anonymity.

The source confirmed that the deal succeeded after a series of negotiations conducted by local tribal figures during the past few days.

On Sunday, the Houthi militia announced that they are ready to swap 823 prisoners of the Saudi-led coalition forces and Yemen's government for 1,400 Houthi militants.

Around 15,000 prisoners of war and political prisoners were reportedly held in the Yemeni government and Houthi jails.

Yemen has been mired in a civil war since late 2014 when the Iran-backed Houthi militia seized control of several northern provinces and forced the Saudi-backed Yemeni government of Hadi out of Sanaa.

The Saudi-led coalition intervened in 2015 in the Yemeni civil war in an attempt to reinstate the Hadi government.