Dubai: The liberation of Yemen’s Al Qaida-held Al Mukalla city has uncovered “real and concrete evidence” of cooperation and coordination between the Muslim Brotherhood and Al Qaida, a top UAE minister said on Friday.

Dr Anwar Mohammad Gargash, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, said on twitter that the UAE forces found evidence of the cooperation after the city was liberated, adding that the finding shows that the UAE’s conviction is clear regarding the “alliance of opportunism and terrorism”.

Al Mukalla, which had been occupied by Al Qaida for almost a year, was liberated by Saudi-led coalition forces and Yemeni forces last month.

Both Al Qaida and the Muslim Brotherhood are on the UAE’s list of terrorist organisations.

“The operation to liberate Al Mukalla was successful by all standards as our armed forces were unique in planning and performance in cooperation with local forces which played an important role in this victory,” said Gargash. “The liberation gives a strong blow to terrorism since Al Qaida elements couldn’t escape, thanks to a well-planned strategy that left no exit for them.”

He added that Al Qaida incurred record losses and a fatal blow, adding that the city’s liberation was highly appreciated by its residents after long and cruel suffering, and that they tipped off the authorities about “fleeing terrorist remnants who found no safe haven”.

“It became clear from the killed terrorists that they descended from different nationalities ... The terrorists wanted to make Al Mukalla a hub for terrorist training and funding,” said Gargash.

“UAE forces dealt with the complex operation professionally ... the Al Mukalla liberation goes in our record as a landmark victory.”