File image.
A 2,000-meter airstrip is being built on Zuqar Island in the Red Sea off the coast of Yemen, The Associated Press reported on October 20, citing satellite images from Planet Labs PBC.
Zuqar Island lies between the coasts of the Yemeni province of al-Hodeidah, which is controlled by the Houthis (Ansar Allah), and Eritrea, close to the Bab-el-Mandeb strait which connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden.
The satellite images analyzed by the AP indicate that work began in April to build out a dock on the island, then land clearing along the site of the runway. By late August, what appears to be asphalt was being laid across the runway. Images from October show the work continuing, with runway markings painted on in the middle of the month.
The news agency noted that ship-tracking data show that the Batsa, a Togolese-flagged bulk carrier registered to a Dubai-based maritime firm, spent nearly a week alongside the new dock at Zuqar Island after coming from Berbera in Somaliland.
A Dubai-based maritime company, Saif Shipping and Marine Services, acknowledged receiving an order to deliver the asphalt to the island likely used in the airstrip’s construction on behalf of other firms based in the United Arab Emirates.
Over the last few years, the UAE was linked to similar airstrips that appeared on the Yemeni islands of Abd al-Kuri in the Indian Ocean near the mouth of the Gulf of Aden and Mayun, which is located in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait itself. The Southern Transitional Council, an anti-Houthi force backed by the UAE, controls the latter, and has confirmed that the UAE helped build the airstrip there.
The airstripe in Zuqar Island could give a military force the ability to conduct “aerial surveillance over the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden and the strategic, narrow Bab el-Mandeb Strait connecting the two waterways off East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula,” according to the AP.
The agency’s report is not surprising. The construction of a military post with several helicopter pads on Zudaq Island was reported earlier this year.
The Island was captured from the Houthis shortly after the start of the Saudi-led intervention in Yemen in 2015. The UAE played a key role in the intervention. Although it announced its withdrawal from the country in 2019, it continues to be active there.
In recent months, anti-Houthi forces in Yemen have been able to intercept more weapons and equipment shipments bound for the group.
The airstripes in Zudaq, Abd al-Kuri and Mayun are likely being used to keep a close eye on the Houthis. However, a larger future role can’t be ruled out. Yemeni media close to the Houthis have already reported Israeli military activities in Zudaq and Mayun.
For nearly two years, the Houthis carried out dozens of attacks against Israel-linked shipping and targets in the country itself in response to the war on the Gaza Strip. Israel carried out multiple strikes on Yemen in response, and recently vowed to escalate.
The airstrips on Yemeni islands could allow Israel to expand its operations against the Houthis in a significant way. They could be even used as staging grounds for raids deep in areas controlled by the group in Yemen.
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if they’re uae’s airstrips then it’s unlikely the israelis will be allowed to use them.
houthis should now target this airstrip and uae soldier ther destroy this air strip withmissile and any fighter jets .houthis drone can do that job easliy
houthis got all the time to destroy it, they will as soon as it is employed
are iran and the houthis aware of the consequences of russia’s betrayal of syria or not yet? the main problem of iran and also the houthis is that they think it is right to die for nothing and that russia is truly on the side of justice.
russia is on the side of israel and is simply the mother country of origin of most of the jewry. have you ever read the name khazaria before i came to the portal? probably not! it never mattered who was with whom, because if you have traitors as allies,
yes, we all know who the kazars are, quit being an idiot. iran is not overly trustful of russia or haven’t you be paying attention? why do you think iran refused russian help? because of that little ‘understanding’ between russia and israel. but iran is also pragmatic, they only are taking russian and chinese weapons with the understanding that there are no strings attached. iran also realized they could use some help with the treacherous u.s..
khazars are from the region. they had their kingdom. russia ended their kingdom. they became part of the russian empire they infiltrated it killed the tzars and millions of russians (more then the nazis did).
they lost control of the sowjet union. regained briefly control again in the 80s and used it to dismantle the sowjet union. then they atempted to sell out russia after some time and some success putin stopped them half way. thats why they hate russia and putin and want them all dead.
sorry to say, but by line 4 your whole post becomes fully foul& flawed.historically& practically wrong.”they lost control of the sowjet union”.bullsh*t, sowjetunion was a jooish project& it worked perfect for the joos.su destroyed the force which indeed stood up against judaism itself (ns germany) – thus opened the door of hell – allowing joos to take over the whole world !!!
i doubt there is anyone who doesn’t realize what these air strips are for. they should also be an easy target for the houthi’s should they be brought to bear against them. there is little doubt that these will be f.o.b.s used by the nefarious israeli’s and the u.s.. i’m sure iran has it on their list as well. just another little plan that will go by the wayside after iran and israel have it out.
the huthis should offer china territory for a base to annoy the enemy. then iran can station their troops their under the chinese umbrella.
good idea indeed