Saudi forces directly accuse UAE of provoking conflict on Socotra

SOCOTRA, Feb. 23 (YPA) -Tension continues to escalate between Saudi forces and forces loyal to the UAE, on the Yemeni island of Socotra, local sources reported.

According to the sources, the Saudi 808 duty forces issued a warning to the protesters stationed in front of the headquarters of the Saudi forces.

The sources clarified that the Saudi forces demanded the protesters, who had set up tents in front of the gate of the Saudi camp for the third consecutive day, to remove the protest camps.

The sources mentioned that the commander of the Saudi forces in Socotra, Maneef Al-Mutairi, held a meeting with the protest leaders yesterday, Thursday, during which he called on the protesters and the sons of Socotra not to be swayed by what he claimed to be malicious propaganda targeting the Saudi forces.

The sources quoted participants in the protest as saying that the commander of the Saudi forces directly accused the Emirati forces of attempting to “destabilize security and stability in Socotra.”

Last Wednesday, some of the people of Socotra set up protest tents in front of the headquarters of the Saudi forces in Hadiboh, demanding the departure of the Saudi forces from the island.

The friction between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi in Socotra comes within the framework of the escalating conflict between the two parties to control the eastern Yemeni provinces.

It is worth mentioning that the Saudi forces remained silent when the UAE expelled officials and forces of the “legitimate” Islah Party from Socotra in July 2020, prompting supporters of the Yemeni Islah Party to accuse the Saudi forces of complicity with the UAE in the occupation of Socotra at the time.

E.M