Arab Coalition denounces AP report, reaffirms fight against terrorism in Yemen

The Arab Coalition’s spokesman Colonel Turki al-Maliki reiterated the coalition's mission and efforts to combat terrorism in Yemen in light of a recent Associated Press report falsely accusing the coalition of doing otherwise.

Maliki said that the report was based on opinions, rather than facts and concrete evidence. He reaffirmed the coalition’s purpose, which is to restore legitimacy in Yemen, adding that they are waging a war against terrorist organizations like ISIS, the Iran-backed Houthi militias and al-Qaeda.

“The coalition has and will continue to carry out joint operations with brotherly and friendly nations to dismantle the capabilities of said groups through air, naval and joint Special Forces operations under the international cooperative efforts to eradicate terrorism and maintain international security,” Maliki said.

“We have followed what AP posted today entitled “AP investigation: Yemen war binds US, allies, al-Qaida”. What was stated in this article whether it was stories or conclusions is unfounded and expressed the personal opinion of the author as there was no tangible evidence nor convincing arguments,” Maliki added.

“The writer should have followed the professional ethics of journalism and fact-checked such information before publication through communicating with the Joint Forces Command of the coalition, and verifying the coalition’s efforts in combating terrorism, the coalition would have provided detailed information in this regard. All channels of communication with members of the media are open,” he said.

Maliki concluded that the coalition will continue its efforts and operations to combat terrorist groups in Yemen, with the cooperation of the international community to eradicate terrorism around the world. He added that this is done through intelligence-sharing and joint operations with friendly nations.