UAE reducing troops in war-torn Yemen

The United Arab Emirates said yesterday it was redeploying and reducing troops across war-torn Yemen and moving from a  “military-first” strategy to a  “peace-first” plan.

The UAE is a key partner in a Saudi-led military coalition which intervened in Yemen in 2015 to back the internationally recognised government of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi against Iran-aligned Huthi rebels.

“We do have troop levels that are down for reasons that are strategic in Hodeida and reasons that are tactical” in other parts of the country, a senior UAE official, who requested anonymity, told reporters.