UAE-backed Yemen leader says his troops at island air base

A militia leader who is the nephew of Yemen’s late strongman president has acknowledged that his Emirati-backed troops are stationed on an island in a crucial maritime chokepoint where a mysterious air base is now under construction

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- A militia leader and nephew of Yemen's late strongman president has acknowledged that his Emirati-backed troops are stationed on an island in a crucial maritime chokepoint where a mysterious air base is now under construction. The comments by Tariq Saleh come as ship-tracking data show that at least two Emirati-owned vessels have traveled to Mayun Island since an Associated Press story in May highlighted the base's construction. The United Arab Emirates has not responded to repeated requests for comment about the base. However, a Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen against the Houthi rebels who hold its capital, Sanaa, later acknowledged having “equipment” on the island in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. While no country has claimed the air base, shipping traffic associated with a prior attempt to build a massive runway across the 5.6-kilometer (3.5 mile)-long island years ago links back to the UAE as well. Officials associated with Yemen's internationally recognized government have demanded a formal investigation into the base.