Page 10 - aruba-today-20190914

A10 WORLD NEWS
Saturday 14 September 2019
UAE says 6 troops killed in ‘collision,’ without elaborating

By JON GAMBRELL opening months when 45
Associated Press Emirati troops were killed
DUBAI, United Arab Emir- by a rebel missile attack. It
ates (AP) — Six Emirati marked the deadliest day
troops have been killed in a for its military in the 47-year
“collision,” the United Arab history of the federation of
Emirates said Friday, with- seven sheikhdoms on the
out elaborating or offering Arabian Peninsula home
a location or time for the to Dubai. The UAE has not
incident that comes after publicly acknowledged
the federation of sheikh- how many troops it with-
doms began pulling out of drew from Yemen since
a Saudi-led war in Yemen. June. Yemeni officials have
Details about what hap- suggested Emirati troop
pened remained vague, strength has dropped by as
with the state-run WAM much as 75% out of around
news agency citing the 10,000 troops.
General Command of the The Emirati withdrawal fol-
UAE Armed Forces for the lowed rising tensions be-
information. However, Ye- tween Iran and the U.S.
meni officials speaking to over Tehran’s collapsing
The Associated Press said nuclear deal with world
the troops were killed in a powers, suggesting Abu
road crash in southern Ye- Dhabi worried about hav-
men. In this Sept. 17, 2015 photo, an Emirati gunner watches for enemy fire from the rear gate of a United ing forces at home in case
Among the six troops killed Arab Emirates Chinook military helicopter flying over Yemen. an armed conflict broke
was a captain, the WAM Associated Press out.
report said, identifying anonymity, told The Associ- The UAE entered Yemen’s The war has pushed Ye- While Emirati troops often
those killed by name. ated Press that the Emirati war in March 2015 along- men to the brink of famine weren’t directly involved
“The General Command of troops died in a traffic crash side Saudi Arabia to back and killed more than 90,000 in front-line combat, they
the Armed Forces extends in Yemen’s southern Shab- Yemen’s internationally people since 2015, ac- organized local forces and
its condolences and sym- wa province. They spoke recognized government, cording to the U.S.-based handled intelligence op-
pathy to the families of the on condition of anonym- which the Houthis reb- Armed Conflict Location erations in Yemen’s south.
martyrs,” its statement said. ity as they were not autho- els had pushed out of the & Event Data Project, or Those forces included sep-
“May Allah Almighty grant rized to speak to journalists. capital, Sanaa. The Emir- ACLED, which tracks the aratists seeking their own
them peace and forgive- Shabwa is held by the Emi- ates largely has handled conflict. nation who have swept
ness and life in paradise.” rati-backed Southern Tran- ground operations in Ye- The UAE has not published into areas to seize control
The statement gave no de- sitional Council and largely men’s south in the con- overall casualty figures in from Yemen’s internation-
tails of the crash, nor the has avoided conflict for flict, while the Saudis have the war. However, it has ally recognized govern-
vehicles involved. much of the war, though bombed from the air and acknowledged individu- ment, leading to clashes
Yemeni security officials, it’s known to be an area handles operations in al incidents, the worst of between the supposed
speaking on condition of home to al-Qaida militants. northern Yemen. which came in the war’s allies.q

Taliban visits Moscow days after Trump says talks ‘dead’

ing the delegation had team was being led by Shaheen was quoted on
held consultations with Mullah Sher Mohammad the website as saying the
Zamir Kabulov, President Stanikzai. In a weekend Camp David visit was de-
Vladimir Putin’s envoy for tweet, Trump had called layed, saying the Taliban
Afghanistan. The visit was off negotiations and can- wanted the agreement
confirmed to the AP by a celed a meeting he said signed and witnessed by
Taliban official who spoke he wanted to have with foreign ministers of several
on condition of anonym- Afghan government lead- countries, including Russia.
ity because he was not ers and the Taliban at the He said Taliban also want-
authorized to talk to re- Camp David presidential ed Qatar to announce the
porters. The Interfax news retreat. Shaheen told the agreement before any
agency cited an uniden- Taliban’s official website Camp David meeting.
tified Russian Foreign Min- on Tuesday that the group Moscow has been ac-
In this June 30, 2018, file photo, Kremlin guards perform in istry spokesman as saying was still communicating cused of aiding the Taliban
Red Square with St. Basil’s Cathedral in the background in the meeting Russia un- with U.S. negotiators, at as a safeguard against a
Moscow, Russia. derlined the necessity of least to find out what to burgeoning Islamic State
Associated Press
renewing talks between do next. The Taliban shura, affiliate that has close ties
By KATHY GANNON days after U.S. President the U.S. and the Taliban, or leadership council, op- to the Islamic Movement
JIM HEINTZ Donald Trump declared and that the Taliban con- posed its negotiators go- of Afghanistan, a militant
Associated Press dead a deal with the insur- firmed their readiness to ing to Camp David and group in Central Asia. Rus-
MOSCOW (AP) — A nego- gent group in Afghanistan. continuing dialogue with admonished those who sia has stepped up its de-
tiating team from the Tal- Russian state news agen- Washington. It was the Tal- had accepted U.S. peace fenses in Central Asia and
iban arrived Friday in Rus- cy Tass cited the Taliban’s iban’s first international vis- envoy Zalmay Khalilzad’s has claimed thousands of
sia, a representative told Qatar-based spokesman it following the collapse of invitation that was extend- IS fighters were in northern
The Associated Press, just Suhail Shaheen as say- talks with Washington. The ed at the end of August. Afghanistan q