Sunday, May 8, 2016

US positions troops in Yemen, steps up anti-Qaeda strikes

US troops are helping United Arab Emirates forces push Al-Qaeda-affiliated forces from a Yemeni port, and the Pentagon has stepped up air strikes against the jihadists in the war-torn country.
Defense Department spokesman Navy Captain Jeff Davis's confirmation of the deployment marked the first time the Pentagon has publicly acknowledged that US troops are operating inside Yemen.Davis said a "very small number" of military personnel has been working with Yemeni and Arab Coalition forces -- especially the Emiratis -- in recent weeks as they pushed Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) fighters from the port city of Mukalla, more