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UAE says Arab coalition vows to continue anti-Houthi mission in Yemen

Xinhua, May 5, 2017 Adjust font size:

A senior official of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) said on Friday that the Saudi-led Arab coalition will continue its mission until the Yemeni people can decide their own future, UAE state news agency WAM reported.

The remarks were made by UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum in a public speech on the 41st anniversary of the UAE Armed Forces Unification Day in the capital Abu Dhabi.

"Having accomplished strategic targets to thwart coup plans, the coalition has enabled legitimacy to return to Yemen, extending control over most of its territory and aiding the country to rebuild in liberated areas," he said.

"The coalition countries will continue their mission until the Yemeni people can decide their own future away from the terror, threats and intimidation of coup militants," the vice president added.

Since the beginning of the anti-Houthi campaign in Yemen, dozens of UAE military personnel have lost their lives.

On Tuesday, the UAE Supreme Command of the Armed Forces said a UAE soldier, identified as Hassan Abdullah Al-Beshr, was killed in action in Yemen.

The UAE is part of the Saudi-led coalition of nine Arab states to support Yemen's internationally recognized government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi.

The coalition has been air striking on a daily basis the Iranian-backed Shiite Houthi group across Yemen since March 26, 2015, when Hadi fled to the Saudi capital Riyadh to take refuge. The coalition said its intervention aims to restore Hadi's authority in the country. Endit