“The UAE has asked the US to dispatch its special forces to Southern Yemen to control Bab al-Mandeb Strait,” the Yemeni source added.
In early May, the United States military deployed more than 200 US Marines in the port city of Mukalla in the Central province of Hadramout.
Yemen’s Arabic-language al-Masirah news website reported that the forces were deployed in the strategic seaport and oil terminal.
The news came as local media quoted an unnamed military source the US army has deployed 20 new military helicopters in Southern Yemen.
“15 Apache and five Black Hawk choppers have been sent to al-Anad military base in Lahij province in Southern Yemen,” the Arabic-language news website al-Khabar quoted an unnamed military source as saying.
In a relevant development, Ansarullah popular movement in a statement condemned the US deployment in the Southern parts of Yemen.
“This action is in line with Washington’s colonial goals and is blatant aggression against Yemen,” part of the statement read.
The statement reiterated that the Yemeni people irrespective of their political inclinations are against the US troops’ deployment in their country.
The statement described the US redeployment of Special Forces in Southern Yemen a dangerous move at a time when political efforts and peace talks are underway in Kuwait for putting an end to war and suffering of the Yemeni people.
US military has also deployed a significant number of its forces in coastal waters near Yemen, as al-Masirah reported that the amphibious assault ship USS Boxer with more than 1,200 sailors and Marines as well as a group of vessels aboard were also stationed offshore in the Gulf of Aden.
Yemen’s Southern coast is now under the control of US troops, who are deployed to the region under the pretext of battling al-Qaeda militants.
The deployment of US troops comes a year after the withdrawal of its forces from Yemen. On March 21, 2015, the US evacuated its remaining forces from the airbase “due to the deteriorating security situation” a day after al-Qaeda captured the nearby city of al-Houta.
Pentagon has also announced that it sent a group of its commandos to Yemen.
“The Group of al- Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula remains a significant security threat to the United States and to our regional partners and we welcome this effort to specifically remove AQAP from Mukalla and to degrade, disrupt and destroy AQAP in Yemen,”said Navy Capt. Jueff Davis, a Pentagon spokesman.
No comments:
Post a Comment