‘I Love UAE’ airstrip being built on Yemeni island amid ongoing war
As Yemen’s Houthi rebels continue to target ships in Mideast waterways, satellite images analyzed by The Associated Press show that a new airstrip is being built at the entrance to that vital sea route.
Neither country has publicly claimed construction is taking place on Abd al-Kuri Island, a stretch of land jutting out of the Indian Ocean near the mouth of the Gulf of Aden.
However, satellite images show that workers have written ‘I Love UAE’ using the abbreviation of the United Arab Emirates along a pile of dirt next to the runway.
Israel’s war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip has led to the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea, which it leads into, becoming a battleground between the Houthis and US-led forces – potentially giving the nation a chance to assert its power in the region. Allowing to be displayed. ,
The build-up comes as the presence of Emirati troops in the Socotra island chain, which includes Abd al-Kuri – and support for the separatist force in southern Yemen – has sparked clashes in the past.
In response to AP questions, the United Arab Emirates said Thursday that “any UAE presence on the island of Socotra is on humanitarian grounds and is carried out in cooperation with the Yemeni government and local authorities.”
“The UAE remains steadfast in its commitment to all international efforts aimed at facilitating the resumption of the Yemeni political process, thereby advancing the security, stability and prosperity sought by the Yemeni population,” it said, without elaborating. Can go.”
The Yemeni embassies in Washington and Saudi Arabia, which leads the coalition fighting the Houthis, did not respond to questions.
Abd al-Kuri’s length is about 35 kilometers and its width is about 5 kilometers. It is closer to the Horn of Africa than Yemen, the Arab world’s poorest country, which has been at war for years.
The airstrip is constructed along that widest point. Satellite photos from Planet Labs PBC analyzed by AP show trucks and other vehicles grading the runway on March 11, turning part of its sandy surface dark brown.
Images of the site taken by Planet Labs on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday show vehicles in various positions and active work taking place there, possibly including paving the site.
The length of the runway running from north to south is approximately 3 kilometers. A runway of this length can accommodate attack, surveillance and transport aircraft, even some of the heaviest bombers.
According to Planet Labs imagery, construction could initially be seen in the area in January 2022, with a diagonal, short runway being built from sand.
The first indications of construction of a longer north-south runway were in July 2022, but work later stopped.
This month, activity has increased at Abd al-Kuri, including construction on the northern edge of the runway, close to the water, and heavy vehicle movement.