UAE rejects Yemeni governor's allegations on weapons, 'secret prisons'

The UAE has rejected Yemeni governor Salem Al-Khanbashi's allegations linking it to the discovery of weapons and "secret prisons" at Riyan Airport in the city of Mukalla.

In a statement released on national news agency Wam, the UAE's Ministry of Defence (MoD) called the claims "false and misleading", adding that it aims to "distort facts, mislead public opinion, and deliberately tarnish the reputation of the UAE Armed Forces".  

The conference, the ministry stressed, is devoid of any evidence or facts and are entirely unfounded and "undermines their recognised military commitments and established record".

The authority added that UAE forces "officially and publicly completed their full withdrawal from Yemen on January 2".

It "included the transfer of all equipment, weapons and assets in accordance with established and recognised military procedures, thereby conclusively eliminating any scope for interpretation or claims of any Emirati military, logistical or technical presence on Yemeni territory".

The ministry added that claims of "secret prisons" are "nothing more than deliberate fabrications and misinformation aimed at constructing false narratives that lack accuracy and professionalism".

It clarified that the "facilities referred to (by the Yemeni governor) are merely military accommodation, operations rooms and fortified shelters, some of which are located underground, a common and well-known feature of airports and military installations worldwide, and bear no implications beyond the normal military context".

The ministry underscored that the attempt to implicate the UAE with such allegations "raises serious questions about the true motives and parties behind the promotion of these falsehoods".

The authority said it is "a blatant attempt to advance political agendas at the expense of truth, and part of a systematic campaign to distort the image of the UAE and the sacrifices made by its soldiers in support of Yemen and in safeguarding its security and stability for more than a decade".