DUBAI -- The Yemeni foreign minister has denied any US military role in his country's fight against Al-Qaeda in comments published on Monday after a report Washington had deployed drones to hunt down jihadists.
"The United States cooperates with Yemen in intelligence, but the operations are conducted by the Yemeni security forces," Abu Bakr al-Kurbi told Abu Dhabi daily The National.
"Yemen has combat aircraft."
| I'm not sure but I think he means that in the plural ... |
The Washington Post reported on Sunday that the US administration had deployed unmanned Predator aircraft to Yemen to hunt for Al-Qaeda militants who have become increasingly active in the impoverished Arab country.
So far the drones have not fired any missiles as US military and intelligence operatives have failed to establish firm information about the whereabouts of wanted militants, the US daily said, citing senior US officials it did not identify.
| That's because we don't have the local intel we need. |
In Washington on Monday, the Pentagon declined comment on any US drone activity in Yemen.
Kurbi said his government in Sanaa was also cooperating with neighbouring Saudi Arabia to address the Al-Qaeda threat.
"There is intelligence cooperation between Yemen and all the Arab countries, with Saudi Arabia more than other countries because of our relationship and the movement of terrorists between Yemen and the kingdom," he told The National. |