Sana'a: An Al Qaida offshoot in Yemen known as Ansar Al Sharia (Partisans of Islamic Law), released yesterday dozens of army soldiers after almost a month in captivity, witnesses said.

On Saturday afternoon, the militants announced that they would not execute soldiers and would release the hostages for "the sake of God and in response to the appeals of the soldiers' families and the tribal mediation".

At a short handover ceremony attended by reporters, mediators, human rights activists and the soldiers' relatives to their stronghold, the militants handed over the soldiers to their families.

A local journalist, who was in the ceremony, told Gulf News, mediators and a freed soldier were asked to deliver speeches at the ceremony.

"Immediately after the ceremony, the soldiers and their families left for Aden," the journalist said.

In a tribal-like tradition, mediators and soldiers' families gathered in a procession raising banners urging Ansar Al Sharia to release prisoners.

"Tribal leaders and social dignitaries of Hulama urge their brothers Ansar Al Sharia to let soldiers out." read one of the banners.

Ansar Al Sharia said in an emailed statement that their leader Nasser Al Wahishi ordered their release for no ransom and followed mediation efforts by tribal shaikhs and senior clerics.

The soldiers were captured early last month when Al Qaida militants launched an assault on an army camp in Abyan province. At least 200 soldiers were also killed in the same attack.

Last week, Al Qaida announced in Ja'ar town that it would kill ten soldiers each week if the government does not release jailed militants.

Exploitation

Many observers said that Al Qaida has benefited due to the presence of media and soldiers' families to send many messages. Fadhel Mubarek, a journalist from Abyan, said that Al Qaida wanted to say that they respect human rights.

"By freeing soldiers, Al Qaida aimed at gaining people's sympathy: they are good, tolerant and respect human rights."

Fadhel said that the militants also flexed their muscles by displaying their armed men. Al Qaida still holds some soldiers and three foreign hostages.