WASHINGTON: The Defense Department on Wednesday acknowledged for the first time ?multiple ground operations? in Yemen, while noting that the Islamic State has doubled in size in the war-torn country, where an insurgency by Houthi rebels has allowed terrorist groups to seek haven. ?US forces have conducted multiple ground operations and more than 120 strikes in 2017,? said a statement from the US Central Command in Tampa, Florida. The goal is to ?disrupt the ability of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and ISIS-Yemen to use ungoverned spaces in Yemen as a hub for terrorist recruiting, training and base of operations to export terror worldwide.?