New airstrip built on island off Yemen to counter Houthi activities in Red Sea

A caller airstrip is being built connected a volcanic land successful nan Red Sea disconnected nan seashore of Yemen, outer images show, apt nan latest task by forces allied to those opposed to nan country's Iranian-backed Houthi rebels.

Satellite photos from Planet Labs PBC show nan building of a astir 2,000-metre runway connected Zuqar Island, which is immoderate 90 kilometres southeast of nan Houthi-held larboard metropolis of Hodeida, a cardinal shipping hub.

The images show activity began successful April to build retired a dock connected nan island, past onshore clearing on nan tract of nan runway.

By precocious August, what appears to beryllium asphalt was being laid crossed nan runway. Images from October show nan activity continuing, pinch runway markings painted connected successful nan mediate of nan month.

No 1 has claimed nan construction. However, ship-tracking information analysed by nan AP show nan Batsa, a Togolese-flagged bulk bearer registered to a Dubai-based maritime firm, spent astir a week alongside nan caller dock astatine Zuqar Island aft coming from Berbera successful Somaliland, nan tract of a DP World port. DP World declined to comment.

A Dubai-based maritime company, Saif Shipping and Marine Services, acknowledged receiving an bid to present nan asphalt to nan island, apt utilized successful nan airstrip's construction, connected behalf of different UAE-based firms.

Other Emirates-based maritime firms person been associated pinch different airstrip building projects successful Yemen, later tied backmost to nan UAE.

In Mocha connected nan Red Sea, a task to widen that city’s airdrome now allows it to onshore acold larger aircraft. There is besides now a runway successful adjacent Dhubab.

Another runway is connected Abd al-Kuri Island, successful nan Indian Ocean adjacent nan rima of nan Gulf of Aden.

And successful nan Bab el-Mandeb Strait itself, different runway built by nan UAW is connected Mayun Island.

The Houthis, a militant Islamist group down a rebellion that pushed retired nan country's internationally recognised government, presently power overmuch of occidental Yemen, including nan superior Sana'a.

An anti-Houthi secessionist unit successful Yemen known arsenic nan Southern Transitional Council controls nan land and has acknowledged nan UAE's domiciled successful building nan airport.

The airstrip connected Zuqar Island provides yet different nexus successful a web of offshore bases successful a region cardinal to world shipping, wherever nan Houthis person already attacked complete 100 ships, sunk 4 vessels and killed astatine slightest 9 mariners during nan Israel-Hamas warfare successful Gaza.

It could springiness a subject unit nan expertise to behaviour aerial surveillance complete nan Red Sea, nan Gulf of Aden and nan strategic, constrictive Bab el-Mandeb Strait connecting nan 2 waterways disconnected East Africa and nan Arabian Peninsula.

In caller months, nan anti-Houthi forces person been capable to intercept much cargo bound for nan Houthis, thing that having a beingness connected Zuqar could aid.

"The anticipation of a caller Yemeni violative against nan Houthis, backed by nan Saudi-led coalition, can’t beryllium ruled out, though I don't spot it arsenic approaching," said Eleonora Ardemagni, a Yemen master and expert astatine nan Italian Institute for International Political Studies.

"There's a much important constituent successful my position regarding nan build up successful Zuqar: nan countering of Houthis' smuggling activities, pinch peculiar respect to weapons."

Targeting Houthi shipments

Zuqar Island is simply a strategical location successful nan Red Sea. Eritrea captured nan land successful 1995 aft battling Yemeni forces. An world tribunal successful 1998 placed nan land formally into Yemen's custody.

The land again recovered itself engulfed by warfare aft nan Houthis seized Yemen's capital, Sanaa, successful 2014 and began a march south, erstwhile nan rebels took Zuqar.

Saudi Arabia and nan UAE entered nan warfare successful 2015 connected behalf of nan country's exiled government, stopping nan Houthi advance. They besides hit backmost nan Houthis from Zuqar, retaking nan island, which has go a staging crushed for naval forces loyal to Tariq Saleh, a nephew of Yemen’s precocious strongman leader Ali Abdullah Saleh.

The younger Saleh, erstwhile allied to nan Houthis earlier his uncle switched sides and nan rebels killed him successful 2017, has been backed by nan UAE.

Since then, nan beforehand lines of nan warfare person been fixed for years.

What changed was nan Houthis' taking their run globally pinch attacks connected ships successful nan Red Sea and nan Gulf of Aden.

That continued moreover aft a weeks-long run of aggravated airstrikes known arsenic Operation Rough Rider, launched by nan United States and continued strikes by Israel, which look to beryllium getting person to nan Houthis' apical activity contempt nan rebels' penchant for secrecy.

"The Houthis, for illustration immoderate insurgent group, triumph by not losing," wrote Gregory D Johnsen, a Yemen expert, successful June. "It is really nan group has survived and grown from each of its wars."

While a loose confederation of anti-Houthi groups exists, it remains fragmented and has not launched immoderate attacks during nan US airstrikes.

But nan increasing web of aerial bases astir Yemen comes arsenic anti-Houthi forces person made respective important seizures of weapons, apt bound for nan rebels, including 1 ample haul that was praised by nan US military's Central Command.