Gulf of Aden Security Review
A regularly updated review of both Yemen and the Horn of Africa covering topics related to security, governance, and militant activity.
Yemen: AQAP claims attack on STC affiliates in Abyan governorate; Hadi’s government and STC reportedly agree to form new government
Horn of Africa: AFRICOM airstrikes target al Shabaab explosives factory in Middle Jubba region; SNA forces claim to seize village from al Shabaab in Lower Shabelle region; al Shabaab militants smuggle light arms from Yemen to Puntland State; Puntland State security forces rescue civilians from al Shabaab in Sanaag region; al Shabaab militants claim attack on Kenyan AMISOM contingent in Lower Jubba region; unidentified gunmen kill SNA officers in Galgudud region
Yemen Security Brief:
Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) claimed an attack targeting forces aligned with the Transitional Political Council of the South (STC) on December 8. AQAP militants killed six STC affiliates in Lawdar in southern Yemen’s Abyan governorate on December 7.[1]
The internationally recognized Yemeni government of Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi and the STC agreed to form a joint government as part of the power-sharing Riyadh Agreement on December 10, according to the Saudi-led coalition. The new government will reportedly include 24 ministers and will be announced after the two sides finalize the agreement’s military stipulations.[2]
Horn of Africa Security Brief:
Two US Africa Command (AFRICOM) airstrikes targeted an al Shabaab explosives factory near Jilib town in southern Somalia’s Middle Jubba region on December 10. The airstrikes reportedly killed at least eight al Shabaab militants, including al Shabaab explosives experts. AFRICOM conducted an airstrike targeting an al Shabaab explosive expert in late August.[3]
Somali National Army (SNA) forces reportedly seized Gendershe village in southern Somalia’s Lower Shabelle region from al Shabaab militants on December 10. Al Shabaab militants claimed to kill an American Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) paramilitary officer embedded in the SNA in Gendershe village in November.[4]
Al Shabaab militants reportedly smuggled light arms from Yemen to the al Madow mountains in northeastern Somalia’s Puntland State on December 9. Al Shabaab militants and Puntland State security forces clashed in Mudug region in late November. [5]
Puntland State security forces rescued three civilians on December 11 that al Shabaab militants abducted from Milho town in northern Somalia’s Sanaag region. Al Shabaab claimed taking control of several villages in Sanaag region in late October.[6]
Al Shabaab militants claimed an attack on a Kenyan contingent of African Union forces in Kulbiyow village in southern Somalia’s Lower Jubba region on December 9. The attack wounded two Kenyan soldiers. Somali security forces allegedly recaptured villages from al Shabaab in Lower Jubba region in early December.[7]
Unidentified gunmen killed at least six SNA officers outside of Guriel town in central Somalia’s Galgudud region on December 9. An al Shabaab roadside improvised explosive device killed two SNA soldiers in Galgudud region in mid-November.[8]
[1] Kade7, Twitter, December 10, 2020, https://twitter.com/Mr_kade7/status/1337089831072100360; and Hannah Kuperman and Jessica Kocan, “Gulf of Aden Security Review – December 7, 2020,” Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute, https://www.criticalthreats.org/briefs/gulf-of-aden-security-review/gulf-of-aden-security-review-december-7-2020.
[2] Yemeni government, separatists start executing Riyadh pact, says coalition,” Reuters, December 10, 2020, https://www.reuters.com/article/yemen-security/yemeni-government-separatists-start-executing-riyadh-pact-says-coalition-idUSKBN28K14X.
[3] “Pentagon Sends B-52 bombers to Persian Gulf, as US Launches Airstrikes in Somalia After Pulling Out,” FOX News, December 10, 2020, https://www.foxnews.com/politics/pentagon-b-52-bombers-persian-gulf-us-airstrikes-somalia; “US Airstrikes Kill 10 Militants in Southern Somalia,” BBC Monitoring, December 10, 2020, available by subscription at https://monitoring.bbc.co.uk/; “US Kills 8 Al-Shabaab Fighters in 2 Airstrikes Amid Troop reduction in Somalia,” Voice of America, December 10, 2020, https://www.voanews.com/usa/us-kills-8-al-shabab-fighters-2-airstrikes-amid-troop-reduction-somalia; Hannah Kuperman and Jessica Kocan, “Gulf of Aden Security Review – December 7, 2020,” Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute, https://www.criticalthreats.org/briefs/gulf-of-aden-security-review/gulf-of-aden-security-review-december-7-2020; and Matthew Eady and Jessica Kocan, “Gulf of Aden Security Review – August 21, 2020,” Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute, August 21, 2020, https://www.criticalthreats.org/briefs/gulf-of-aden-security-review/gulf-of-aden-security-review-august-21-2020.
[4] “Gorgor Forces Take Over Gendershe Village, Lower Shabelle,” Horseed media, December 10, 2020, https://horseedmedia.net/2020/12/10/ciidamada-gorgor-oo-la-wareegay-deegaanka-gendershe-sh-hoose/; and “CIA Officer Killed in Somalia Raid on Suspected Al-Shabaab Bomb-Maker,” The Guardian, December 3, 2020, https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/dec/03/cia-officer-killed-in-somali-raid-on-suspected-al-shabaab-bomb-maker.
[5] “Al-Shabab ‘Imports’ Illegal Weapons into Somalia from Yemen,” BBC Monitoring, December 9, 2020, available by subscription at https://monitoring.bbc.co.uk/; and Hannah Kuperman and Luc Sasseville, “Gulf of Aden Security Review – November 30, 2020,” Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute, November 30, 2020, https://www.criticalthreats.org/briefs/gulf-of-aden-security-review/gulf-of-aden-security-review-november-30-2020.
[6] “Somalia’s Puntland Forces Launch Operation Against Al-Shabaab,” BB Monitoring, December 11, 2020, available by subscription at https://monitoring.bbc.co.uk/; and Hannah Kuperman and Sarah Gordon, “Gulf of Aden Security Review – October 30, 2020,” Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute, October 30, 2020, https://www.criticalthreats.org/briefs/gulf-of-aden-security-review/gulf-of-aden-security-review-october-30-2020.
[7] “Militants attack Kenyan army base in southern Somalia,” BBC Monitoring, December 9, 2020, available by subscription at https://monitoring.bbc.co.uk/; and Hannah Kuperman and Jessica Kocan, “Gulf of Aden Security Review – December 7, 2020,” Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute, December 7, 2020, https://www.criticalthreats.org/briefs/gulf-of-aden-security-review/gulf-of-aden-security-review-december-7-2020.
[8] “DF Military Officers Killed in Attack on Outskirts of Guri’el,” Radio Kulmiye, December 9, 2020, https://radiokulmiye.net/2020/12/09/df-military-officers-killed-in-attack-on-outskirts-of-guriel/; and Hannah Kuperman and Luc Sasseville, “Gulf of Aden Security Review – November 13, 2020,” Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute, November 13, 2020, https://www.criticalthreats.org/briefs/gulf-of-aden-security-review/gulf-of-aden-security-review-november-13-2020.
