Satellite imagery indicates that a new airstrip is being built on Zuqar Island in the Red Sea off Yemens western coast, in what analysts say could mark a significant new development in the countrys long-running conflict.
More importantly, the site is strategically close to the Port of Hodeidah, used by the Houthi rebels in Sanaa as a springboard for maritime attacks in the region of the Bab el-Mandab Strait.
According to analysis by Planet Labs PBC, images show the construction of a nearly 2 000-metre runway on the volcanic island, located about 90 kilometres southeast of Hodeidah.