WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — A small number of US service members remain in Yemen to provide intelligence support in the fight against an al-Qaeda affiliate in the country, US Department of Defense spokesperson Peter Cook said in a briefing on Monday.
On Friday, the Defense Department said the US troops deployed about two weeks ago and would stay for a short term to support ongoing operations of the Yemeni and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) militaries located near the port city of Mukalla.
"There is a small contingent of US forces that have been operating in a liaison with the coalition activities in Mukalla. They are still in the country, still providing that liaison role," Cook noted.
On Friday, UAE embassy in the United States announced that the country’s forces have carried out successful liberation of the city form the al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula terror group.
