UAE Puts ‘End’ To Military Attacks In Yemen
MEP: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) said on Wednesday that it has put an ‘end’ to its military operations in Yemen.
“Our standpoint is clear: war is over for our troops. We are monitoring political arrangements, empowering Yemenis in liberated areas,” Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the crown prince of Abu Dhabi and the deputy supreme commander of the UAE Armed Forces, wrote on his official Twitter account late on Wednesday, quoting earlier remarks by Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash.
“Our standpoint today is clear: war is over for our troops; we’re monitoring political arrangements, empowering Yemenis in liberated areas”
— محمد بن زايد (@MohamedBinZayed) June 15, 2016
The statement left open the likelihood that Emirati troops would remain in the Arabian Peninsula country, where they operate in the southern province of Hadramawt and the port city of Aden.
According to Abu Dhabi owned newspaper, The National, Gargash discussed the difficult choice the UAE made to become involved in the war in Yemen and the disappointing results of peace talks.
“After 50 discouraging days of Yemeni peace talks in Kuwait, there is no unified vision for the future. There are alarming signs that the south wants to defect and that radicalism is on the rise,” he was quoted saying by the newspaper.
The UAE had been suffering heavy casualties in Yemen, where Ansarullah fighters and allied military units have been fighting back the Saudi-led invaders.
There are reports that Jordanian military forces and advisers will be replacing UAE troops fighting in the Saudi war on Yemen.
Yemen’s Khabar news agency, citing informed sources, reported that the decision had been made following a visit by Saudi Deputy Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman Al Saud to Jordan in mid-April.
