Hundreds of tourists stuck on Yemeni island as tensions simmer on mainland

"About 400 tourists are stuck on the Yemeni island of Socotra after flights were grounded because of clashes on the mainland between government troops backed by Saudi Arabia and secessionists with links to the United Arab Emirates. Over the past few days, flights in and out of Yemen have been largely restricted during heavy fighting between rival armed factions loosely grouped under the Yemen's fractious government, which is based in the southern port city of Aden."

"The Socotra islands, 380km (236 miles) south of the mainland, are under the control of the United Arab Emirates-backed Southern Transitional Council, which has clashed with Yemen's Saudi-backed government in the provinces of Hadramout and al-Mahra. Yahya bin Afrar, the deputy governor for culture and tourism on Socotra, the largest island in the Socotra archipelago, said that more than 400 foreign tourists are stranded after their flights were suspended."

"A local official, who spoke to the AFP news agency on condition of anonymity, said that 416 people of different nationalities were stranded on Socotra, including more than 60 Russians. An unnamed Western diplomat said that British, French and American nationals were also among the stranded tourists. In a post on X on Sunday, Poland's Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Maciej Wewior, said Polish tourists were stuck too, adding that flights to Socotra by an Emirati airline had been suspended until Tuesday."

Ports and airports in Hadramout are expected to reopen after Saudi-backed government forces ousted southern secessionists. Heavy fighting between government troops backed by Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates-linked secessionists has largely grounded flights and closed airspace, leaving about 400–416 foreign tourists stranded on the Yemeni island of Socotra. Socotra lies 380km south of the mainland and is controlled by the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council, which has clashed with the Saudi-backed government in Hadramout and al-Mahra. Stranded nationals include Russians, British, French, American, Polish and Chinese visitors as military operations intensify.

Read at www.aljazeera.com