‘I LOVE UAE’ airstrip being built on Yemeni island during war

New Airstrip Construction Raises Tensions: Yemen’s Houthi Conflict and UAE Presence

As Yemen’s Houthi rebels target shipping in Middle East waterways, satellite images analyzed by The Associated Press show that a new airstrip is being built at the entrance to this important seaway.

No country has publicly announced the construction activity. on Abd al-Kur Island, a strip of land rising from the Indian Ocean at the mouth of the Gulf of Aden.

However, satellite images show that workers wrote the words “I LOVE UAE” followed by piles of dirt. airstrip, using an acronym for the United Arab Emirates.

Both the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea it leads to become a battleground between the Houthis and the US-led forces in the region in Israel’s war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip . , which is raging — allowing the nation to project its power into the region.

The construction comes as the Socotra island chain, which includes Abd al-Kuri and separatist forces, is occupied by Emirati forces. it supports southern Yemen — has caused clashes in the past.

In response to questions from the AP, the UAE said on Thursday that “The entire presence of the UAE on the island of Socotra is based on humanitarian considerations, carried out in cooperation with the UAE. Yemeni government and local authorities.”

“The UAE is firmly committed to all international efforts aimed at facilitating the resumption of the political process in Yemen, thus contributing to the security, stability and prosperity sought by the Yemeni people,” it added without to elaborate.

The Yemeni embassy, ​​which leads the Washington-Arab coalition fighting the Houthis, did not answer questions.

Abd al-Kuri is about 35 kilometers long. and at its widest point about 5 kilometers. It is closer to the Somali peninsula than Yemen, the poorest country in the Arab world, which has been at war for years.

At its widest point is a track building. Planet Labs PBC satellite images analyzed by the AP showed trucks and other vehicles drove onto the track on March 11, turning some of its sandy features dark brown.

Planet Labs images from the site taken Monday, Tuesday and on Wednesday showed the vehicles. . in various positions and active work takes place there, possibly also paving the site.

The length of the runway, which runs from north to south, is about 3 kilometers. A runway of this length can accommodate attack, surveillance and transport aircraft, even some of the heaviest bombers.

Construction initially began in January 2022, with a diagonal shorter runway carved out of the sand. to images from Planet Labs..