UAE soldiers in Yemen exchanged with new troops

The first batch of the UAE Armed Forces active in Yemen were exchanged with the second batch of troops on Saturday, the Emirati WAM news agency reported.

The General Command of the UAE's Armed Forces said that the first batch of its soldiers who took part in "Operation Decisive Storm" and "Restoring Hope" returned to the Emirates after being replaced with the second force to carry out duties in Yemen.

The replacement of the first batch, which is in line with the troop exchange policy, comes after it achieved several victories, including the liberation of the historical city of Marib and the Marib Dam.

Emirati people wave the national flag as a convoy of UAE military vehicles and personnel travels from Al Hamra Military Base to Zayed Military City, marking the return of the first batch of UAE Armed Forces military personnel from Yemen, United Arab Emirates, Saturday, Nov. 7, 2015. (WAM/AP)

In a statement released as a tribute to the UAE Armed Forces who returned, Dubai Ruler Sheikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum said: “The honorable performance of our Armed Forces in the battlefield and their effective contribution towards the victories of the Arab Coalition in Yemen are the best proof that our soldiers maintain high defense and combat readiness, which ensures that our country possesses a shield that protects its soil and a sword that guarantees its security and the safety of its people."

Spokesman of the Saudi-led Arab Coalition, Brigadier Ahmed Asiri, said the exchange of UAE troops in Yemen highlights the professionalism required to sustain the momentum of the ongoing military operations, adding that 70 percent of Yemen is now liberated from Houthi militias and has come under the authority of the legitimate government of President Abdrabbu Mansour Hadi.