Tariq forces impose restrictive measures on fishermen in Khokha city
SANAA, June 2 (YPA) – Tariq Afash forces loyal to the United Arab Emirates have reacted to the accusations of handing over the Hanish islands in the red sea to Eritrea by imposing restrictive measures against Yemeni fishers.
Media sources loyal to coalition quoted the fishermen in Khokha as saying that they were “surprised by Tariq’s forces, which dictated and imposing restrictive measures in fishing and restricted their freedom and limit them to scarce fish sites.”
Fishermen said that Tariq’s forces on the west coast backed by the United Arab Emirates on Monday issued what they called “a final warning to fishermen who raise doubts about their suspicious movements in Yemeni territorial waters.”
They added: “they have set a certain fishing line to prevent our suspicious movements, and warned us that bypassing designated fishing areas will expose us to many punishments, including imprisonment and confiscation of boats.”
According to the fishermen, Tariq’s forces accused them of “bearing the main cause of the attack as a result of their failure to move in the sea line and enter the territorial waters of Eretria”.
They also accused the fishermen that “many of them have become in doubt after a number of them were involved in the contacts with the” Houthis.”
Tariq Afash’s forces have restricted the freedom of traditional Yemeni fishermen and imposed strict measures and specific fishing sites no more than three miles from the coast, after fishermen revealed Eritrea’s dominance on Yemen’s Hanish islands.
On Saturday, 54 Yemeni fishermen were attack by Eritrean forces near Jebel Ali, west of Great Hanish island and confiscated their fish, fishing equipment and seven boats and left them one boat on board, putting their lives on their lives,” according to the fishermen complains.
In their complaint, the fishermen stressed that “the Eritrean navy has invaded the islands of Yemen and territorial waters with the knowledge of the Tarek Coast Guard.” “The UAE and Eritrea have a military agreement to use Assab port and airport as an Emirati military base,” observers said.
The revelation of Tariq Afash’s complicity in handing over the Hanish islands in the Red Sea to its ally Eritrea confirms the latter’s dominance over the islands since the declaration of the previous regime to restore them by arbitration in 1998, and more since 2015.
E.M