Decision to Extend US Contingent’s Stay in Yemen Indicates Mission Success

The decision to prolong the stay of the US Special Operation forces in Yemen is a sign of a successful deployment, US Department of Defense spokesperson Peter Cook said in a briefing on Tuesday.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — On June 17, media reported that a small number of US advisers will remain in Yemen for the foreseeable future.

Cook noted that the mission of the US troops’ mission in Yemen is unlikely to change.

"They will remain there. They’ve had a successful stay and it’s been a productive stay, and the decision to extend that reflects just the successful cooperation we’ve had on the ground there," Cook stated.

In May, the Defense Department said US troops would stay in Yemen for a short period to provide intelligence assistance to the Yemeni and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) militaries in their bid to liberate the Yemeni port Mukalla from al-Qaeda.

Since 2014, Yemen has been engulfed in a military conflict between the government headed by President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi and Shiite Houthi rebels, supported by army units loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh.