Al Qaeda in Yemen said it released on Sunday 73 soldiers captured by its fighters during battles with government forces in the south of the country.

The terror network said in an emailed statement that the release of the soldiers followed mediation efforts by tribal elders and senior clerics. Relatives of some freed prisoners confirmed the release.

The release was likely to bolster the standing of the terror network in Yemen, where its fighters took advantage of more than a year of political turmoil to capture areas in the nearly lawless south. The negotiations went through both tribal and religious channels, suggesting that the network in the south has in some ways been integrated in the area's social fabric.

The soldiers were freed in the city of Jaar in the southern province of Abyan in a ceremony attended by top leaders of the terror network in Yemen, including military leader Qasim al-Rimi.