The UAE denies running secret prisons in Yemen, calling the claims fabrications, as a rift with Saudi Arabia widens over influence in the war-torn country.
DUBAI: The United Arab Emirates has denied running secret prisons in southern Yemen, dismissing the claims as “deliberate fabrications”.
The UAE defence ministry said the allegations were a “blatant attempt to advance political agendas at the expense of truth”.
The denial follows claims made by Saudi-backed Yemeni officials in Hadramawt province on Monday. Hadramawt’s governor told foreign media that “a number of secret prisons used by Emirati forces” had been uncovered.
The UAE defence ministry stated the “facilities referred to are merely military accommodation, operations rooms and fortified shelters, some of which are located underground”.
“The attempt to implicate the United Arab Emirates in such allegations raises serious questions about the true motives and parties behind the promotion of these falsehoods,” the statement added.
The accusations widen a rift between the Gulf powers, who joined forces to fight Yemen’s Houthi rebels in 2015 but now back opposing camps in the south. The rivalry intensified after an advance by UAE-backed separatists last month was pushed back by Saudi air strikes and allied ground forces.
Monday’s claims followed clashes between UAE- and Saudi-backed forces that prompted Abu Dhabi to withdraw its remaining troops from Yemen. Saudi Arabia is now attempting to shore up control in government-controlled southern Yemen, while northern areas remain under Houthi control.
