Local Editor

Saudi Arabia has invaded and occupied Yemen’s strategic Island of Socotra in the Indian Ocean and is now building up its biggest naval base there, FNA reported. 

Saudi Arabia started building up a major naval base on the Yemeni island of Socotra, which it invaded and occupied during the recent military conflict between the countries, FNA said. 

A Saudi-led coalition backed by the United States has been carrying out airstrikes against Yemen since March 26. The airstrikes have not been authorized by the UN.

"Hundreds of workers from Asian countries have been deployed by the Saudi navy to construct the kingdom’s naval base on the island," it further said, citing Arabic-language Al-Ittihad news’ website.

Socotra Archipelago is located about 400 km from the Yemeni mainland in the Indian Ocean and consists of four islands. Its largest island, also called Socotra, was recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 2008.

Saudi Arabia is launching a wide-scale military aggression against Yemen and it has been bombarding the impoverished nation for the last 144 days to restore power to fugitive Yemeni president Abed-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, a close ally of Saudi Arabia.

The ’civilian’ death toll in Yemen has risen to at least 1,916, with another 4,186 civilians wounded since the escalation of the conflict in March, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights [OHCHR] reported recently last week.