Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — The Arab Coalition has dismissed reports regarding the presence of Emirati forces on the Yemeni islands of Socotra and Mayyun as baseless and unfounded.

In a statement to the Saudi Press Agency on Thursday, an official source at the Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen stated: “Some reports in the media with regard to the presence of UAE forces on the Islands of Socotra and Mayyun (Perim) are baseless and unfounded.”

According to the source, all equipment currently present on Mayyun Island are under the control of the Coalition Command, and they are there in order to enable the Yemeni forces and coalition forces to counter the Houthi militia, secure maritime navigation and support the West Coast forces.

The source also said that the current UAE efforts are focused within Coalition forces on providing air support to defend Ma’rib.

“We reaffirm that respecting the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of Yemen is at the top of the established and fundamental principles of the coalition," the source added.