Yemen negotiators agree to begin handover of civil war dead Negotiators say Yemen's warring sides agreed to exchange hundreds of bodies of those killed in the country's 4-year-old civil war

AMMAN, Jordan -- Negotiators say Yemen's warring sides agreed to exchange bodies of some of those killed in the country's 4-year-old civil war.

Representatives of Yemen's internationally recognized government and Iran-backed Houthi rebels said they agreed Friday that each side will hand over 1,000 bodies in three stages. The first stage will see the release of bodies from morgues.

The war has claimed tens of thousands of lives.

The agreement came after four days of talks in Jordan, as part of efforts to implement agreements reached in principle in December.

The negotiators say they also made progress on an exchange of prisoners and would now consult with their leaders.

A deal on a prisoner swap has stalled because each side seeks the release of more prisoners than the other claims to be holding.