Dubai, Oct 20 (AP) Satellite images reveal the construction of a new airstrip on a volcanic island in the Red Sea near Yemen, potentially initiated by forces opposed to the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels. This development adds to a network of offshore bases in a vital shipping region, where Houthis have previously attacked over 100 ships, sunk four vessels, and killed at least nine mariners during the present Israel-Hamas conflict.
The airstrip on Zuqar Island could bolster military capabilities by allowing for enhanced aerial surveillance over the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, and the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait. There is uncertainty about what might trigger the use of the airstrip for military offensives, and the United Arab Emirates, implicated in previous runway projects in the area, has refrained from commenting, as have anti-Houthi Yemeni forces, which struggle to unite against the rebels.
Recent interdictions of cargo intended for the Houthis by anti-Houthi forces could be bolstered by a presence on Zuqar Island. According to Eleonora Ardemagni, an expert at the Italian Institute for International Political Studies, while a coordinated Yemeni offensive supported by the Saudi-led coalition cannot be entirely dismissed, the primary focus might be to counter Houthi smuggling operations, especially weapons.
A runway on a strategic island Satellite imagery from Planet Labs PBC, analyzed by The Associated Press, reveals that a 2,000-meter runway is under construction on Zuqar Island, about 90 kilometers southeast of the Houthi-controlled port city of Hodeida. Work commenced in April with dock expansion and land clearing for the runway, progressing to asphalt being laid by late August. October images show continued progress with runway markings applied mid-month.
The construction claimants remain unidentified, although ship-tracking data shows the Batsa, a Togolese-flagged vessel registered to a Dubai-based firm, anchored at the new dock on Zuqar for nearly a week after departing from Berbera in Somaliland, where a DP World port is located. While DP World provided no comment, Dubai-based Saif Shipping and Marine Services acknowledged a contract to supply asphalt for the project, likely for UAE-associated companies.
The UAE is attributed with multiple airstrip projects in Yemen over recent years. In Mocha on the Red Sea, an airport extension now accommodates larger aircraft, with local authorities crediting the UAE for the endeavor. Notable UAE runway projects include those on Abd al-Kuri Island in the Indian Ocean and Mayun Island in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, associated with the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council's anti-Houthi secessionist activities.
Targeting of Houthi shipments Strategically important in the Red Sea, Zuqar Island once contested by Eritrea in 1995, was restored to Yemen by an international court ruling in 1998. The island was embroiled in conflict following the Houthi capture of Sanaa in 2014, leading to Saudi and UAE military involvement with Yemen's exiled government in 2015 to halt the Houthi advance, including reclaiming Zuqar for forces loyal to Tariq Saleh, nephew of Yemen's former leader Ali Abdullah Saleh, with UAE support.
Despite stagnant battlefield lines, Houthis have taken their conflict global, targeting shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, notwithstanding an intense US-led and Israeli military campaign targeting Houthi factions in Yemen. Gregory D. Johnsen, a Yemen expert, highlights that the Houthis' strength lies in mere survival without significant losses.
Anti-Houthi groups, though unified, remain divided and inactive during the US airstrikes. However, the expanding network of air bases in Yemen coincides with significant anti-Houthi interdictions of weapons intended for Houthi forces, commendations of which have come from the US Central Command.
As Eleonora Ardemagni notes, the airstrip on Zuqar, likely an Emirati undertaking, could enhance surveillance and monitoring off Hodeida's coast, facilitating Yemeni forces in combating smuggling activities. (AP)
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