SANAA, Oct 9 (Reuters) - Yemen's prime minister said on Friday an international arbitration court had granted his country sovereignty over the disputed Hanish islands which are also claimed by Eritrea, an official and state media said.

There was no independent confirmation of the reports. The London-based arbitration panel was not immediately available for comment.

The official told Reuters the court had informed both states of its ruling on the Red Sea archipelago earlier on Friday. He said Prime Minister Abdul-Karim al-Iryani made the remarks in a cable of President Ali Abdullah Saleh.

Yemen's state-run television interrupted its normal programme to report the news.

sovereignty over all the disputed islands,'' the official said. No further details were immediately available.

Arab Yemen and African Eritrea's dispute over the islands -- located near key shipping lanes -- led to clashes in 1995 in which at least 12 people died.

After mediation efforts involving Ethiopia, Egypt, the United Nations and France, the two states agreed to arbitration to solve their dispute.

They signed an agreement in 1996 setting up the five-judge arbitration body. Yemen selected two judges on the panel, Eritrea chose another two and both states agreed on the fifth.

Ties between Eritrea and Yemen have improved recently, with the first Eritrean official visiting Yemen since the clash in March.

THE HAGUE, Oct 9 (Reuters) - - Text of a ruling issued by the Permanent Court of Arbitration on Friday in a dispute between Yemen and Eritrea over Red Sea islands.

``Accordingly, The Tribunal, taking into account the foregoing considerations and reasons unanimously finds in the present case that

1. the islands, islet, rocks and low-tide elevations forming the Mohabbakah islands, including but not limited to Sayal Islet, Harbi Islet, Flat Islet and High Islet are subject to the territorial sovereignty of Eritrea;

2. the islands, islet, rocks and low-tide elevations forming the Haycock Islands, including, but not limited to North East Haycock, Middle Haycock and South West Haycock, are subject to the territorial sovereignty of Eritrea;

3. the South West Rocks are subject to the territorial sovereignty of Eritrea;

4. the islands, islet, rocks, and low-tide elevations of the Zuqar-Hanish group, including, but not limited to, Three Foot Rock, Parkin Rock, Rocky Islets, Pin Rock, Suyul Hanish, Mid Islet, Double Peak Island, Round Island, North Round Island, Quoin Island (13 43 N, 42 48 E), Chor Rock, Greater Hanish, Peaky Islet, Mushajirah, Addar Ail Islets, Haycock Island (13 47 N, 42 47 E; not to be confused with the Haycock Islands to the southwest of Greater Hanish), Low Island (13 52 N, 42 49 E) including the unnamed islets and rocks close north, east and south, Lesser Hanish including the unnamed islets and rocks close north east, Tongue Island and the unnamed islet close south, Near Island and the unnamed islet close south east, Shark Island, Jabal Zuquar Island, High Island, and the Abu Ali Islands (including Quoin Island (14 05 N, 42 49 E) and Pile Island) are subject to the territorial sovereignty of Yemen;

5. the island of Jabal al-Tayr and the islands, islets, rocks and low-tide elevations forming the Zubayr group, including, but not limited to, Quoin Island (15 12 N, 42 03 E), Haycock Island (15 10 N, 42 07 E; not to be confused with the Haycock Islands to the southwest of Greater Hanish), Rugged Island, Table Peak Island, Saddle Island and the unnamed islet close north west, Low Island (15 06 N, 42 06 E) and the unnamed rock close east, Middle Reef, Saba Island, Connected Island, East Rocks, Shoe Rock, Jabal Zubayr Island, and Centre Peak Island are subject to the territorial sovereignty of Yemen; and

6. the sovereignty found to lie with Yemen entails the perpetuation of the traditional fishing regime in the region, including free access and the enjoyment for the fishermen of both Eritrea and Yemen.

Further,...the Tribunal directs that this Award should be executed within 90 days from the date hereunder.

Done at London this 9th day of October, 1998.