US General impressed with work of Saudi-led coalition in Yemen

Dubai:  A US General is impressed with the efforts of the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen.

Lt. Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr., Commander of the US Air Forces Central Command, at the Dubai Airshow on Tuesday, said : “I’ve been impressed with the GCC nations and every nation in the coalition."

Saudi Arabia is leading a military coalition in Yemen, aided by the US, against the Al Houthi rebels, who are backed by Iran, to restore the internationally recognised government of President Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi.

The other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries that are participating in the coalition include the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain.

The US has been giving the coalition weaponry, intelligence and logistics support.

He was speaking to reporters at a press conference, accompanied by Deborah Lee James, the US Air Force Secretary.

Secretary James said that the US, which is leading a 60-nation coalition, is making progress in defeating militant group Daesh in Syria and Iraq.

“It’s going to take years…So far, we have collectively pushed [Daesh] back in terms of the territory that they have occupied. We have hit them in terms of command and control centres, as well as training sites; we’ve hit equipment and storage areas…we have also been attacking their sources of revenue,” she said.

After visiting the UAE, Secretary James said that she will head to Morocco and Egypt, and visit US airmen in the region, including in Kuwait, Qatar, Djibouti , and have bilateral discussions with some of these countries.