Hundreds demonstrate against UAE in Yemen's Socotra island

SANAA, Yemen (AP) — Hundreds are protesting in Yemen's remote island of Socotra in the Gulf of Aden near Somalia, demanding the United Arab Emirates withdraw from the island and from the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthi rebels.

Footage circulated on social media showing crowds waving Yemeni flags and chanting anti-Emirati slogans.

Yemeni security officials said Sunday's protests erupted in response to a sit-in staged by separatists loyal to the UAE at Socotra government headquarters. They spoke on condition of anonymity under regulations.

Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates' coalition has battled the Houthis since 2015 to restore the internationally recognized government of Yemeni President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi.

The anti-Houthi coalition has fractured over the past months, as violence erupted in Yemen's south between the U.N.-recognized government and the UAE-backed separatists.