RIYADH – Saudi troops have been deployed to the Yemeni island of Socotrafollowing tensions over the United Arab Emirates presence there, theSaudi-led coalition fighting rebels in Yemen said Sunday.
“Saudi forces have arrived on the island of Socotra… to train and supportYemeni forces,” the coalition announced through Saudi s state-ownedAl-Ekhbariya channel.
The deployment was said to have been coordinated with the Yemeni government.
The United Arab Emirates is a key pillar of the Saudi-led coalitionbattling Huthi rebels in support of the Yemeni government, but has recentlydistanced itself from President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi.
A government source confirmed to AFP that Emirati soldiers were deployed toSocotra earlier this month without the approval of Hadi s government, whichcontrols the Arabian Sea island.
The presence of UAE troops angered Socotra residents, who asserted therewere no rebels on the island, the source said.
Socotra had been spared involvement in the Yemeni conflict, which hasclaimed nearly 10,000 lives since March 2015 and triggered what the UnitedNations has called the world s worst humanitarian crisis. APP/AFP