Yemen’s Houthi rebel group on Thursday abducted 20 journalists and media personnel in capital Sanaa, according to a government-run human rights commission.

The journalists were abducted after organizing a forum devoted to combatting “hate speech”, Eshraq al-Maqtari, a spokeswoman for Yemen’s government-run National Commission to Investigate Alleged Human Rights Violations, said via Twitter.

Later on Thursday,Nabeel al-Osaidy, Education Commission Chairman ofJournalists' Syndicate in Yemen, announced on his Facebook account that 18 of the 20 abducted journalists were released.

Osaidy said the Houhis still hold two journalists, namedAshraf el-Refiand Adel Abdel-Moughni.

There is no information yet on the reason of the journalists' abduction.

Since 2014, when Shia Houthi rebels overran much of the country, impoverished Yemen has remained wracked by violence and turmoil. (Anadolu)