Al-Qaida has threatened to execute seventy soldiers its members arrested during raids on military bases in Abyan province in early March.
The militants overwhelmed the military bases in the Doufas district killing and taking as hostage scores of soldiers as well as looting military equipment.
Early this month, fifteen soldiers were held and shot dead by al-Qaida members after battles with the forces in Lahj province.
HOOD and al-Karama organizations said the Sharia Supporters, one of the militant groups in the south, intends to execute ten soldiers a week if the government continues to ignore their demands including the release of militants held inside the political security jails.
In a statement, the two organizations appealed to the Sharia Supporters to protect the soldiers and avoid extrajudicial executions. They also appealed to the government, the Yemeni clerics, the Yemeni tribes' coalition and human rights agencies to help take action to prevent the execution of the soldiers.
On March 22, the two organizations sent an activist team to the Jaar city held by al-Qaida and the team was allowed to meet more than 70 soldiers held by militants.
The team inspected the health conditions of the soldiers and how they were held. The soldiers said they were being treated in a good way, adding al-Qaida set conditions including the release its members held inside the political security prisons in return for their release.
With direct support from the US, the Yemeni forces have been fighting AQAP, the al-Qaida branch in Yemen since it was founded in 2009. In mid-2011, al-Qaida seized some towns in Abyan province including the capital Zinjibar and recently it has tried to occupy more towns to expand its presence.
The forces in association with popular fighters have thwarted terrorist plans and have waged battles killing and injuring hundreds of militants in the Lawder city.