Critical Threats Today
A regular summary of al Qaeda operations in Yemen and Africa as well as major events in Iran.
These are the major events from April 28 for Iran and for al Qaeda operations in Yemen and Africa. Please see the Iran News Roundup, the Gulf of Aden Security Review, and the weekly Threat Update for more details.
Islamic State of Iraq and al Sham (ISIS) militants based in Libya may have entered Europe in support of the group’s larger plan to conduct terrorist attacks and destabilize the EU.
An Italian intelligence document stated that an unknown number of ISIS fighters may have infiltrated groups of injured Libyan National Army fighters who received medical treatment in European hospitals beginning in December 2015. ISIS and other Salafi-jihadi groups may use their support zones inside of Libya to facilitate attacks on Europe and neighboring states. [Related reading: Ignoring History: America’s Losing Strategy in Libya.]
Citations & Links
President Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi is marginalizing Emirati-backed Southern Movement leaders while the UAE and Russia pursue political negotiations with former president Ali Abdullah Saleh.
President Hadi removed the Minister of State and the governor of Aden, who are part of the Emirati patronage network in Yemen. Their removal sparked large protests in Aden. President Hadi likely removed these actors to consolidate power in his administration in an attempt to ensure that he will not be excluded from future negotiations. (Related reading: Yemen Crisis Situation Report)
