SOCOTRA, Oct. 03 (YPA) – The UAE has carried out major dredging operations in strategic areas on the coasts of the Yemeni island of Socotra, under the pretext of investment projects, Local sources reported on Monday.
The sources said: “The Khalifa bin Zayed Foundation has transferred dozens of bulldozers to coastal areas, to start a large-scale dredging operation under the pretext of establishing a coastal corniche, and without any license or control from the Yemeni authorities in the governorate.”
The developments included the construction of tunnels and streets linking the coast with UAE military bases on the island, the source said.
Since taking control of Socotra after the outbreak of war in Yemen, the UAE has continued to militarize the strategic island bordering global shipping lanes in the Indian Ocean.
E.M