ABU DHABI, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- The United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Tuesday categorically rejected allegations that weapons, explosives, and so-called "secret prisons" linked to the UAE had been discovered at an airport in Yemen.
In a statement carried by the Emirates News Agency, the Ministry of Defence said the claims, made at a press conference by Hadramout Governor Salem Al-Khanbashi, were "false and misleading" and lacked any evidence or factual basis.
The ministry said the allegations of the prisons at Riyan Airport in Hadramout province sought to damage the reputation of the UAE Armed Forces.
It reiterated that UAE forces had officially and publicly completed a full withdrawal from Yemen on Jan. 2, including the transfer of all equipment, weapons and assets, leaving no Emirati military, logistical or technical presence in the country.
The ministry said the facilities in question comprise military accommodation, operations rooms and fortified shelters, some located underground, features it said are common at airports and military installations worldwide.
The statement came after the senior Yemeni official accused the UAE of operating a secret prison at the airbase, pushing a dispute between the Gulf allies into the public eye. The facilities were alleged to have been used to detain and interrogate individuals suspected of links to al-Qaeda or ISIS-Yemen. ■
