The Saudi-led Arab coalition to restore legitimacy in Yemen refuted on Monday a report by The Associated Press on Yemen and al-Qaida financing, saying the alliance is committed to waging its war against terrorist groups in the country, reported the Saudi Press Agency.
Coalition spokesman Colonel Turki al-Maliki said: “The alliance has and will continue to carry out joint operations with brotherly and friendly nations to dismantle the capabilities of these groups through air, naval and joint special forces operations through international efforts to eradicate terrorism and sustain international security.”
These groups include al-Qaida, ISIS and the terrorist Iranian-backed Houthi militia, he added.
He slammed the AP investigation, “Yemen War Binds US, Allies, al-Qaida”, deeming its findings as “unfounded.”
“They only express the personal opinion of the author as they presented no tangible evidence or convincing arguments,” Maliki charged.
“He should have instead followed the professional ethics of journalism and fact-checked such information before publication,” he suggested, saying that the Arab coalition should have been consulted to that end.
The coalition would have verified or refuted the writer’s claims, and highlighted its counter-terrorism efforts, providing detailed information in this regard, he stated.
“All channels of communication with members of the media are open,” he declared.
He vowed that the alliance will continue its efforts and operations to combat terrorist groups in Yemen.
