The first batch of the UAE Armed Forces fighting in Yemen returned home as part of the force rotation, the Emirati WAM news agency reported.
The General Command of the UAE’s Armed Forces said that the first group of its soldiers who took part in “Operation Decisive Storm” and “Restoring Hope” returned to the Emirates after being replaced with the second force to carry out duties in Yemen.
The replacement of the first batch, which is in line with the troop rotation policy, comes after it achieved several victories, including the liberation of the historical city of Marib and the Marib Dam.

In a statement released as a tribute to the UAE Armed Forces who returned, Dubai Ruler Sheikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum said: “The honorable performance of our Armed Forces in the battlefield and their effective contribution towards the victories of the Arab Coalition in Yemen are the best proof that our soldiers maintain high defense and combat readiness, which ensures that our country possesses a shield that protects its soil and a sword that guarantees its security and the safety of its people.”
Spokesman of the Saudi-led Arab Coalition, Brigadier General Ahmed Asiri, said the exchange of UAE troops in Yemen highlights the professionalism required to sustain the momentum of the ongoing military operations, adding that 70 percent of Yemen is now liberated from Houthi militias and has come under the authority of the legitimate government of President Abdrabbu Mansour Hadi.

Al Arabiya News contributed to this report, 8 November 2015