Saudi invasion forces hand over Socotra to UAE separatist militias

The UAE-backed Transitional Council (STC) militias have stormed and took over control over the city of Hadiboh, the capital of Socotra Island, local sources reported on Friday.

According to the sources, the STC militias took control over the security department building in the city of Hadiboh, while the Saudi forces stood by without offering resistance.

Local residents in Hadiboh said big explosions are being heard across the city.

They added the STC has launched artillery attacks targeting Hadi forces’ positions in the Hebeiq area and other positions of local authority forces in the town.

The STC command has announced that its forces are currently imposing a siege on the last strongholds of the Islah militants in the city of Hadiboh.

Salem al-Awlaki, one of the STC leaders, said in a tweet that the STC forces “are imposing a siege against the special forces camp, the last stronghold of the al-Islah militants in Hadiboh.”

Local sources in Socotra island confirmed that the STC militias are advancing rapidly in Hadiboh, and that they are besieging the provincial building and the security department in the city,

They added that Islah militants are suffering from a very weak position in the city. The sources stressed that the situation seems to be resolved in favour of the UAE-backed militias.

The governor of Socotra in Hadi’s puppet government, Ramzi Mahrous, had Thursday afternoon called for a help from the coalition forces in Riyadh and Aden, in an attempt to stop the invasion of Hadiboh by militias affiliated with the Emirates, but no response or aid was given.

On Thursday, the STC militias reinforced their presence at the entrances and exits of Hadiboh city.

Local sources reported that militias of the so-called First Marines Brigade, affiliated with the STC, has intensively deployed in the entrances of the city.

The new offensive came after Wednesday’s violent clashes that broke out between the STC militia and Islah Party’s militants near the city.

Socotra island has been witnessing military tensions between the STC and Islah, after an assassination attempt by the Islah militants targeted the head of the STC branch in the island, Sheikh Ra’afat Abu Hammam on Wednesday.

Source: Websites

Y.A