The UAE has said war is over for its troops in Yemen after a nearly 15-month intervention as part of a Saudi-led coalition, AFP reported Thursday (June 16th).
The announcement, made by state minister for foreign affairs Anwar Gargash, was subsequently posted by the crown prince of Abu Dhabi on his official Twitter account.
"Our standpoint today is clear -- war is over for our troops, we are monitoring political arrangements (and) empowering Yemenis in liberated areas," Gargash said.
His comments came in a speech late Wednesday to foreign ambassadors and senior Emirati officials, including Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, who is also deputy supreme commander of the UAE armed forces.
It was the first time in the UAE's history it had deployed ground troops beyond its borders.
In March, UAE special forces also played a major role in driving al-Qaeda out of the Hadramaut provincial capital of al-Mukalla, which it had held for a year.
The intervention cost the lives of UAE air crews as well as ground troops.
UN-brokered peace talks are under way in Kuwait, but after eight weeks they have made no major breakthrough.
