Mysterious air base being built on volcanic island off Yemen
Yemeni officials say it's Emirati-owned, but no country has claimed it yet.
By JON GAMBRELLAssociated Press
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World powers have recognized Mayun Island as a strategic location for hundreds of years, especially with the opening of the Suez Canal linking the Mediterranean and Red Seas. Planet Labs Inc. via AP
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — A mysterious air base is being built on a volcanic island off Yemen that sits in one of the world’s crucial maritime chokepoints for both energy shipments and commercial cargo.
While no country has claimed the Mayun Island air base in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, shipping traffic associated with a prior attempt to build a massive runway across the 3.5 mile-long island years ago links back to the United Arab Emirates.