Yemen's government and Houthi rebels have agreed to free half of the prisoners and detainees held by either side in the first breakthrough of the peace talks that began last month.

Officials from the two delegations have said that a working group formed by the UN special envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed had reached an agreement on Tuesday to release the prisoners and detainees within 20 days.

"It was agreed during the meeting to release 50 percent of the prisoners and detainees within the next 20 days," said Mane al-Matari, media adviser to Yemen's foreign minister who heads the government delegation.