The newspaper al-Quds al-Arabi has cited a Yemeni source as saying on conditions of anonymity that officials in Yemen's exiled government plan to turn to the UN Security Council in order to put an end to the United Arab Emirates (UAE)'s military presence on Socotra Island.

According to the source, more Yemeni government officials are "thinking of addressing the United Nations to get the UAE out of the Arab alliance."

The source described the UAE's actions as a "flagrant violation of Yemeni sovereignty," adding that Riyadh's pressure hinders the Yemeni government's drive to turn to the UN Security Council.

READ MORE: S Arabia, UAE Reportedly Trying to Soothe Tensions Amid Fresh Fighting in Yemen

The remarks came after Abu Dhabi deployed some 300 soldiers, along with tanks and artillery, to Socotra Island on April 30 without informing the Yemeni government-in-exile of President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi.

Yemeni Prime Minister Ahmed Bin called the UAE's takeover of Socotra an "unjustified" assault on Yemen's sovereignty, which he said "reflects the disagreement between the legitimate government and our brothers in the UAE, and at its core is a dispute over national sovereignty and who has the right to practice it."

The UAE's Foreign Ministry rejected the accusations, saying that Abu Dhabi "plays a parallel role in the Yemeni island of Socotra to maintain security and stability, support development projects, and help the people of the island."

READ MORE: Saudi-Led Strikes on Presidential Office in Yemen Kill 6, Injure 30 – Reports

Referring to the troops' deployment to Socotra, the ministry said that it "comes within the efforts of the Arab Coalition to support the legitimacy at this critical stage in the history of Yemen."

However, analysts pointed to the UAE starting to distance itself from Hadi, who is reportedly under house arrest in Riyadh, and carving out an area of influence in southern Yemen.

Socotra Island, located in the Arabian Sea and sometimes referred to as the "Galapagos of the Indian Ocean" and the "most alien-looking place on Earth" is listed by UNESCO as a world heritage site. </s> CAIRO — Yemen's formal alliance with the UAE may be coming to an end after the latter deployed forces to a Yemeni island, without prior consultation with Yemen's exiled government, a senior Yemeni official said Saturday.

Over the past few days, the UAE has deployed some 300 soldiers, along with tanks and artillery, to the island of Socotra, which is recognized by UNESCO as a world heritage site, heightening tensions between the two allies.

"The government had no idea whatsoever," the official said.

The UAE is a major pillar in a Saudi-led coalition fighting Houthi rebels in northern Yemen, under the banner of restoring the authority of self-exiled Yemeni President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi.

The Emiratis, however, have carved out a zone of influence in southern Yemen over the past two years, setting up prisons and militias.

Emirati Minister for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash said that the UAE has historic and family ties to Socotra. He posted his remarks on his official Twitter account on Friday, adding that amid the war in Yemen, "We will support (Socorta's residents), in stability, health care, education, and living (conditions)."

"The government is considering sending a letter to the United Nations demanding the dismissal of the Emiratis from the Yemeni intervention," the official told The Associated Press.

It was the Yemeni government that initially called on the U.N. to allow the Saudi-led coalition to intervene in Yemen in March 2015. U.N. Security Council resolution 2216, rooted in a letter sent by Hadi pleading for military intervention to protect Yemen from the Shiite rebel Houthis, gave legitimacy to the coalition's intervention.

Officials at Hadi's office said that the proposal was not welcomed by the president, who fears upsetting the Saudis. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the press.

The UAE's supporters in Yemen accuse the Islah party - the country's Muslim Brotherhood branch - of fueling media and public campaigns against the Emiratis, their stated foe. The Islah party is a major Hadi ally.

In Socotra, residents and activists said that the UAE is building a factory and a prison, recruiting the island's residents, and creating a new militia. It has been buying land and clearing it for construction. Some residents and activists fear damage to the island's environment, which has previously seen only limited development.

The official said that the Emiratis have taken over all the vital institutions in the island, including the airport, the ports, the government's headquarters, and kicked out the Yemeni forces. Direct flights have also been set up from Abu Dhabi to Socotra.

Saudi Arabia has sent a committee to mediate between the two sides, according to the official. However, the UAE deployed additional forces while the committee was on the ground, he added.

Asked if the government considers the UAE's actions a form of occupation, he said: "What else can we call this?"

Officials told the AP that the UAE has been eyeing Socotra, and other islands like Mayoun (Perim) in Bab al-Mandab, as well as ports along Yemen's southern and western coastline because of their strategic locations for both military and business interests. The UAE has bases in Assab in Eritrea and Somaliland (Horn of Africa). It has also set up small armies in southern Yemeni cities, with forces answering only to the UAE and not the internationally recognized government.

In one incident, Yemen transportation minister Saleh al-Jabwani was barred from entering a port in the southern province of Shabwa.

Socotra is located in the Gulf of Aden and has a unique ecosystem. Much of its plant life can't be found anywhere else in the world, most notably the strange Dragon Blood tree. The island has been listed by UNESCO as a world natural heritage site. </s> Popular protests have broken out in the Yemeni island of Socotra as the local people express their rejection of the deployment of forces belonging to the United Arab Emirates.

Socotra, in the Indian Ocean, is located about 350km from the southern coast of Yemen.

Located just off the coast of Somalia with access to major shipping routes, Socotra is also a World Heritage Site known for its unique and pristine environment.

The Emirati soldiers turned up on Thursday, forcing out Yemeni troops and taking over strategic locations including the airport and the seaport.

Al Jazeera's Mohammed Adow said the Emiratis have justified their presence in Socotra on the grounds that they are part of an operation to back forces loyal to exiled Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi.

"The people who live here say there are no Houthis on the island," he said.

"That means UAE forces have no reason to stay."

Demonstrators have marched through the streets of Socotra's capital Hadibu, rejecting what they describe as UAE intervention in the affairs of the province.

They have also condemned the deployment of UAE forces in the province without coordinating with the legitimate government or seeking its approval.

"These forces are present in Socotra and al-Mahra in numbers that can't be understood," said Abdullah bin Issa al-Aafra, of the Al-Mahra and Socotra People's General Council.

"There are illegitimate troops in these areas. Are there forces that belong to the Houthis to be fought by the coalition here? The answer is a big 'no'."

The Yemeni government said the UAE's military control of Socotra is unjustified, and blames the continuation of a dispute between Hadi loyalists and the UAE for growing public anger.

According to the government, three UAE military planes, tanks and more than 50 soldiers arrived in Socotra and dismissed the local staff there from their duties.

Residents of the island say the flag of the UAE and images of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, often known as MBZ, now adorn official buildings.

Ahmed Obeid bin Daghr, the Yemeni prime minister, has described the UAE troop deployment as "an assault on Yemen's sovereignty".

The UAE and Hadi's government are formally allies in a war against the Houthi rebels.

Relations between the two have soured, however, due to the UAE's expanding influence in southern Yemen, home to a resurgent separatist movement.

The UAE is part of the Saudi-led coalition that launched a military campaign three years ago to shore up Hadi's presidency.

The UAE's move to exert control over Socotra is seen by many as the latest move by the Gulf state to spread its influence well beyond its borders. </s> United Arab Emirates forces have occupied sea and airports on Yemen's remote island of Socotra, a day after deploying four military craft and more than 100 troops there, according to a Yemeni government official.

Condemning the move as an "act of aggression", the official said UAE soldiers also blocked Ahmed Obeid bin Daghr, Yemen's prime minister, and 10 ministers from leaving Socotra on Friday.

"The UAE has occupied the airport and seaport of Socotra island, despite the Yemeni government's presence there. What the UAE is doing in Socotra is an act of aggression," the official told Al Jazeera.

Saudi Arabia has pledged to send investigators to Socotra, according to the official.

Socotra, a UNESCO heritage site home to some 60,000 people, has a 3,000-metre-long runway, ideal for fighter jets and large military aircraft.

The UAE recently leased the island for 99 years and has confirmed carrying out military operations there.

Residents of the island said the flag of the UAE and images of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan now adorn official buildings.

The deployment of Emirati troops on Thursday coincided with a rare visit to the strategically important island by Daghr.

Hundreds of islanders gathered to welcome Dagr on Thursday.

They denounced UAE presence on the island and chanted slogans in support of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi and a unified Yemen.

Hadi's government and the UAE are formally allies in a war against Yemen's Houthi rebels.

A coalition led by Saudi Arabia has been battling the Iran-aligned armed group for three years to restore Hadi to power.

Relations between Hadi and the UAE has soured due to the latter's expanding influence in southern Yemen.

Hadi has previously accused the UAE of behaving like an occupier, according to the Middle East Eye website.

The UAE's move to exert control over Socotra is seen by many as the latest move by the Arab Gulf state to spread its influence well beyond its borders.

The island is situated off the coast of Somaliland, where UAE has invested heavily in the commercial port of Berbera. </s> Southern Yemeni separatists took control of the port city of Aden after two days of fighting, residents said on Tuesday, confining the internationally-recognised government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi to the presidential palace. Fighting between southern separatists allied to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and forces loyal to the Saudi-based president Hadi risk crippling their once united campaign against the Iran-aligned Houthi movement in Yemen’s north.

Residents said forces loyal to the Southern Transitional Council (STC), formed last year to push for the revival of the former independent state of South Yemen, seized the last stronghold of its Presidential Protection forces rival in Dar Saad area in northern Aden in battles that at times involved heavy artillery and tank fire.

Activists shared photos on social media of the Southern Yemeni flag flying over the base’s gate. The STC is backed by the UAE, a main component of the Saudi-led coalition. Residents said STC fighters from the Southern Resistance Forces had earlier overrun Presidential Protection forces outposts in central Aden’s Crater and Tawahi districts.

An International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) official said more than 36 people had been killed in the fighting. Separatists stopped outside the al-Maasheeq palace, where Prime Minister Ahmed bin Daghr’s government is based, residents said. The Saudi-led coalition, which intervened in Yemen’s civil war in 2015 to restore Hadi’s government after the Houthis forced him into exile, called in a statement on Tuesday on both parties to cease hostilities.

“The coalition will take all the measures it deems necessary to restore stability and security in Aden,” it said. The fighting began on Sunday after a deadline set last week by the STC for Hadi to dismiss bin Daghr’s government, accusing it of corruption and mismanagement, expired. The government denies the allegation.

Witnesses said hundreds of people danced and sang as they celebrated the STC victory with fireworks that lit the night skies over Aden. The crowd chanted slogans demanding restoration of the southern state that merged with North Yemen in 1990.

For all the latest World News, download Indian Express App </s> Angry protests have erupted on the Yemeni island of Socotra after the United Arab Emirates deployed four military aircraft and more than 100 troops to the famed UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Residents told Al Jazeera that the four Emirati aircraft arrived illegally on the island on Wednesday in an attempt to intimidate officials from the internationally recognised government who were making a rare visit to the archipelago.

Hundreds of Yemenis had come out to welcome Ahmed bin Daghr, Yemeni prime minister, and 10 of his ministers and to denounced the UAE's presence on the island.

Videos posted on social media showed protesters chanting slogans in support of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi and a unified Yemen.

Residents told Al Jazeera that the crowds were angry after reports emerged that Emirati forces had expelled Yemeni soldiers assigned to protect the main island's airport.

Located due east of the Horn of Africa in the Arabian Sea, the island of 60,000 people, which is known for its unique flora and fauna, has been administered by Yemen for much of the last two centuries.

But since the UAE entered Yemen's war in March 2015 as part of a Saudi-led coalition seeking to remove Houthi rebels, Abu Dhabi has exploited the security vacuum and tried to gain a foothold in the strategically placed island.

The UAE has confirmed carrying out military operations on Socotra, with local media reporting that the UAE had leased Socotra and the nearby Abd al-Kuri island for 99 years.

The flag of the UAE and images of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan adorn official buildings and busy thoroughfares.

According to Human Rights Watch, Abu Dhabi has financed and trained a network of militias that only answer to it, set up prisons, and created a security establishment parallel to Hadi's government.

Earlier this year, Yemen's tourism ministry warned that the UAE had tried to convince islanders "to vote on a referendum of self-determination", calling it a "dangerous step."

Yemen's war has taken a huge toll, with more than 10,000 people killed, millions at risk of famine and a massive cholera outbreak. </s> Angry protests have erupted on the Yemeni island of Socotra after the United Arab Emirates deployed four military aircraft and more than 100 troops to the famed UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Residents told Al Jazeera that the four Emirati aircraft arrived illegally on the island on Wednesday in an attempt to intimidate officials from the internationally recognised government who were making a rare visit to the archipelago.

Hundreds of Yemenis had come out to welcome Ahmed bin Daghr, Yemeni prime minister, and 10 of his ministers and to denounced the UAE's presence on the island.

Videos posted on social media showed protesters chanting slogans in support of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi and a unified Yemen.

Residents told Al Jazeera that the crowds were angry after reports emerged that Emirati forces had expelled Yemeni soldiers assigned to protect the main island's airport.

سقطرى تهتف لليمن بحضور ابن دغر.

شعب نبيل،يعاني ويهتف لوطنه.

بالله عليكم مثل هذا الجمهور ألا يستحق أن تكونوا معه؟

إنه يبحث عنكم.

عودوا إليه. pic.twitter.com/VqUzzW6pcL — Dr Mohammed Jumeh (@MJumeh) May 2, 2018

Located due east of the Horn of Africa in the Arabian Sea, the island of 60,000 people, which is known for its unique flora and fauna, has been administered by Yemen for much of the last two centuries.

But since the UAE entered Yemen's war in March 2015 as part of a Saudi-led coalition seeking to remove Houthi rebels, Abu Dhabi has exploited the security vacuum and tried to gain a foothold in the strategically placed island.

The UAE has confirmed carrying out military operations on Socotra, with local media reporting that the UAE had leased Socotra and the nearby Abd al-Kuri island for 99 years.

The flag of the UAE and images of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan adorn official buildings and busy thoroughfares.

According to Human Rights Watch, Abu Dhabi has financed and trained a network of militias that only answer to it, set up prisons, and created a security establishment parallel to Hadi's government.

Earlier this year, Yemen's tourism ministry warned that the UAE had tried to convince islanders "to vote on a referendum of self-determination", calling it a "dangerous step."

Andreas Krieg, an academic at King's College London, said the latest developments in Socotra were part of a much larger strategy to consolidate power in southern Yemen.

"The UAE see themselves, or want to see themselves in the future, as the link between the east and the west.

"It's very important for them to control trade links which mostly go through the suez canal and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait between Yemen and the Horn of Africa.

"What they've done is found an island that is very strategically located, acts as a quasi-aircraft carrier in the middle of the Indian ocean and where they can control traffic while giving favourable access to countries that are related to them." </s> Alwaght- The Yemeni conflict developments continue as on the one hand the United Nations envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths has stepped up efforts to revive and implement the Stockholm peace deal on Hudaydah port and on the other hand Ansarullah and army forces of Yemen are engaged in newly escalated clashes with the forces and mercenaries loyal to the resigned President Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi as well as the Saudi-Emirati coalition that has been involved in a military campaign against the Arab country since March 2015.

According to a UN announcement on Friday, Ansarullah movement, the key force fighting the Arab alliance and in charge of the revolutionary administration in the capital Sana’a and other major provinces, agreed to unilaterally remove its forces from the main ports of the country. The UN statement added that the voluntary withdrawal will be from the three ports of Hudaydah, Salif, and Ras Isa.

The UN released a statement on the move, welcoming it and saying that it will be first serious step towards cessation of fire in the country. It emphasized the need for the warring sides to take clarifying measures within the mechanism of the Stockholm agreement.

Ansarullah decision at the time being is quite tactical and smart because on the one side it will expose to the world the frequent violations of the opposite side in the process of the agreement implementation and on the other side accentuate its constructive role in the peace process as a reliable actor keeping its commitments. The movement seriously needs to disclose the Saudi-led coalition’s treacheries in the deal implementation. After the failure of the retreat and ceasefire deal, reached in mid-April between the two sides’ negotiators, Riyadh and its Western allies labeled the Yemeni resistant movement as the factor foiling the pro-peace efforts.

Hudaydah and Saif ports are located in the north of the southern province of Hudaydah and are the only lifelines taking in food and medical aids from the outside world amid a choking land, sea, and air siege imposed by Saudi Arabia and the UAE since 2015. Ras Isa sea terminal is mainly used to import fuel to the highly-impoverished nation. The terminal hosts an oil storage with capacity of 5 million oil barrels and is connected to an oil refinery.

With regard to the significance of the three ports as the major lifelines to the heavily-suffocated Yemeni economy, the coalition states along with their Western backers have embarked on a strategy of economic pressure and blockade to force Ansarullah to abandon its resistance. If the Stockholm deal is implemented, the aggressors will find their only hope of winning a costly war of attrition totally shattering. Ansarullah seems to pave the way for this. With declaring a unilateral withdrawal from the key ports, it will give itself some room to put strains on the invaders using the UN, Security Council, and the global public condemnation.

Mohammed Ali Al-Houthi, the head of Yemen’s Supreme Revolutionary Council, said that “the Yemeni people, their leaders, the army, and the popular committees proved their commitment to peace by the unilateral withdrawal from the ports.” He urged the world community to take measures against the parties that set up obstacles ahead of the Stockholm peace accord’s implementation.

The international pressures have been mounting over the past few months on the Arab alliance members and their Western arms providers to end the “inhumane” blockade on the Yemeni civilians that over the past five years caused a major humanitarian crisis marked by famine, impoverishment, and diseases spread. The World Peace Foundation, affiliated with the University of Tufts, suggested that the humanitarian crisis was instigated by the bombing campaign of the coalition and the economic crisis in the already-suffering nation.

But from another side, the Ansarullah-led popular forces and the army have been advancing in other southern fronts like in Dhale province along with the pullout from the three ports, proving that contrary to the Western-Arab media, Ansarullah’s power is far from declining and the withdrawal is just a tactical step and is not motivated by pressure and force.

While on Friday the Hadi loyalists in a statement announced launching an operation to cleanse Dhale, Maris, and Al-Sanah, the recent strong response to the opponents by Ansarullah and its allies remind of the fact that the movement is pro-peace and committed to its promises. While it holds the power to deal blows to the aggression forces, the movement seeks to avoid further war and bloodshed in the country. </s> The United Arab Emirates has deployed its troops and seized key positions on the Indian Ocean island of Socotra.

There is public outrage on the island of Socotra in the Indian Ocean.

A UNESCO world heritage site, Socotra is Yemeni territory, whose residents do not want it to become part of the conflict in Yemen.

But on Thursday, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) deployed troops to the island, seizing strategic positions.

This angered the Yemeni government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, which says it wasn't informed of the move.

The UAE is part of the Saudi-led coalition fighting Houthi rebels in the country and is a former ally of Hadi, but splits have recently emerged.

What is driving Abu Dhabi's expansion in the region?

Andreas Krieg - assistant professor at the defence studies department at King's College London

Catherine Shakdam - Middle East commentator and researcher at Al Bayan Centre for Strategic Studies
Yemeni political parties, including the General People's Congress, Al-Islah and the Southern Movement issue a joint statement calling on the United Arab Emirates to immediately withdraw its troops from Socotra in the Arabian Sea.