Yemen official accuses UAE of backing rebellion

A Yemeni government official on Tuesday accused the United Arab Emirates (UAE) of supporting military rebellion against authorities in the strategic island of Socotra.

Socotra's Governor Ramzi Mahrous also alleged the Gulf country of supporting the separatist forces of the Southern Transitional Council (STC).

In a statement posted on Facebook, Mahrous said he was surprised by the announcement of the Coast Guard Brigade of the 1st Marine Brigade that it was rebelling against Yemen's President Mansur Abdrabbuh Hadi, and joining the transitional council militia.

He said the "step is a dangerous precedent" carried out by the STC with "explicit support from the Emirates."

Yemen, the governor said, would not stand idle by the behavior he termed "outrageous and calling for discord and division in the province."

Despite the UAE withdrawing its forces from the mainland port city of Aden as part of an agreement with Saudi Arabia, there has been an escalation in tensions in Socotra.

The UAE is part of a Saudi-led coalition that has launched a massive air campaign since 2015 against Iran-aligned Houthi rebels, who overran much of Yemen, including capital Sanaa, a year earlier.

Since then, tens of thousands of Yemenis are believed to have been killed and injured in the conflict, while another 14 million are at risk of starvation, according to the UN.