400 tourists stuck on island as flights halted over Yemen fighting

DUBAI, Jan 5: Hundreds of tourists are stuck on the Yemeni island of Socotra after flights were grounded over clashes on the mainland, two officials and a travel agency told AFP on Monday.

Over the past few days, flights in and out of Yemen have been largely restricted following a flare-up of violence between rival armed factions loosely grouped under the government but separately backed by Abu Dhabi and Riyadh.

Socotra's deputy governor for culture and tourism, Yahya bin Afrar, told AFP: "We have more than 400 foreign tourists... their flights have been suspended."

Another local official said all foreign and domestic flights had been grounded on the island since a state of emergency was declared late last month.    �"AFP