Israel is examining the possibility of establishing a forward base in Somaliland that would allow it to strike Yemen’s Houthi rebels from a far closer point than Israeli territory, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday, citing officials familiar with the matter.

Bloomberg said an Israeli team of security officials visited Somaliland in June and surveyed parts of the coastline for a possible site for the base. Over several days, the team reviewed locations along the coast of the breakaway territory, which lies across the Gulf of Aden from Yemen and at its closest point is roughly 260 kilometers, or about 160 miles, away, according to the report.

3View galleryUAE base in Berbera, Somaliland(Photo: Google Maps)

One of the locations under consideration is an elevated area about 100 kilometers, or 60 miles, west of the port city of Berbera, Bloomberg reported.The United Arab Emirates, an Israeli ally, operates an air base and port facilities in the Berbera area.

One of the locations under consideration is an elevated area about 100 kilometers, or 60 miles, west of the port city of Berbera, Bloomberg reported.

, an Israeli ally, operates an air base and port facilities in the Berbera area.

The proposed outpost would give Israel a position much closer to Houthi-controlled parts of Yemen and could eliminate the need for far more complex flights of roughly 2,000 kilometers, or 1,240 miles, with aerial refueling, according to the report.

Khadar Hussein Abdi, Somaliland’s minister of the presidency, told Bloomberg that Israel and Somaliland were preparing for strategic security cooperation that could include a base, possibly a covert one. “In terms of security, we will have a strategic relationship and that encompasses a lot of things,” he told the news outlet.

Two other Somaliland officials cited by Bloomberg said the territory would allow Israel to collect intelligence and carry out operations against the Houthis.

The discussions come as Israel seeks to ensure a foothold near the Gulf of Aden amid its confrontation with Iran. The Houthis, an Iran-backed group based in Yemen, have threatened Israel repeatedly and have attacked shipping and launched missiles and drones during the broader regional conflict.

Source: Drudge Report