Gulf of Aden Security Review

Yemen: Explosions in al Majalah in Abyan province kill two civilians and injure ten others; Abdul Malik al Houthi reportedly dies of injuries from air raid; special operations by government forces kill twenty-five al Houthi rebels; Yemen demands extradition of former southern Yemen presidents 

Horn of Africa: Violence in Mogadishu escalates as MPs return; Islamists attack police ceremony in Mogadishu; al Shabaab claims to have fought Ogaden National Liberation Front militants in Dhobley; Ethiopian troops have reportedly re-entered Somalia; Hizb al Islam bans humanitarian agencies from carrying weapons in Hiraan region; ideological differences cause split in al Shabaab; the Speaker of Puntland’s parliament escapes assassination attempt 

Yemen Security Review

• Two explosions at the site of a suspected al Qaeda training camp in southern Yemen killed two people and wounded ten others. The explosions follow a protest in which thousands of southern tribesmen demanded that the attack on the village of al Majalah in Abyan province be investigated. The source of the explosion is not clear; though it is likely to have been caused by unexploded munitions either dropped by aircraft or left by the militants. Officials report that the security operation on the training camp killed twelve al Qaeda operatives, including two Saudi nationals and five other foreigners.[1] 

• Reports have surfaced that Abdul Malik al Houthi died from injuries sustained in an air raid that targeted a house in Wadi al Hebal in Sakain district in Sa’ada province. The governor of Sa’ada city, Hassan Mana’a, said, “The news of his death is almost confirmed after he had been severely injured.” In response to reports of Abdul Malik al Houthi’s death, the al Houthi rebels issued a statement saying, “These are only imaginary victories.”[2] 

• Military and independent sources report that special operations by the Yemeni army killed over twenty-five al Houthi rebels and destroyed around ten supply vehicles. Fighter jets targeted the al Houthi leadership’s strongholds in Dhahyan and Mutrah on Friday and Saturday. Yusef al Madani, Abdul Malik al Houthi’s brother-in-law, is now the leader in those two areas, according to military sources.[3] 

• Former Yemeni presidents Ali Salem al Beidh and Ali Nasser Mohamed met on Sunday in Beirut, according to sources. Reportedly, the two former presidents of the former People’s Democratic Republic of Yemen discussed the recent raids on the south. This is the first meeting between the two since violent conflicts erupted between two factions in the south in January 1986. Yemen has asked for the extradition of the two former presidents on charges of treason, accusing them of supporting al Qaeda and the secessionists.[4] 

Horn of Africa Security Review 

• At least eight people died in two separate attacks in Mogadishu on Monday. A roadside bomb reportedly targeting Mohamed Qoryarey, a government official, exploded and killed five people, including three policemen. In addition, retaliatory fire from government forces killed three people after an attack on the building in which the Parliament was convened. It is believed that al Shabaab is behind the attack.[5] 

• Islamists launched mortars at a Somali police ceremony, marking the 66th anniversary of the police force, which led the government to reciprocate with heavy artillery shells that targeted Bakara Market. The attacks reportedly left fourteen people dead, mainly civilians, and injured thirty others. On Sunday, Islamists fired mortar shells at the southern Mogadishu police headquarters, killing one policeman and wounding three others. Retaliatory fire killed six civilians.[6] 

• Al Shabaab claims that it has fought with Ogaden National Liberation Front militants Saturday in the border town of Dhobley. Sources report that at least ten people, primarily fighters, had been killed and that over a dozen others had been injured. Al Shabaab fought with Hizb al Islam earlier over the town, but has since made claims that Sheikh Ahmed Madobe, whom al Shabaab claims is part of the ONLF and not Hizb al Islam, began the fight.[7] 

• Ethiopian troops have reportedly reached the Kalaber intersection, about 25 km north of Beledweyne. Residents say that troops with armored vehicles and other military trucks have established a military base near the intersection. Troops have also been seen on the outskirts of Balanbale town in central Galgudud region.[8] 

• The administration of Hizb al Islam in the Hiraan region has banned aid agencies from carrying weapons. Mo’alin Farah Da’ud, the head of security for the administration, announced that any humanitarian worker caught violating the ban would be punished under Shari’a law.[9] 

• Ideological differences have reportedly divided al Shabaab. Sheikh Mukhtar Rubow Ali Abu Mansur, a top leader of al Shabaab in southern Somalia, has reportedly advocated for changes in the group’s ideology so that the group can hold talks with rival parties in order to end the conflict. The other faction, which is led by Emir Sheikh Mukhtar Abdirahman Abu Zubayr, is in favor of escalating the conflict until they are able to establish an Islamic government in Somalia. Abu Zubayr is said to have the backing of around 1,200 foreign jihadists. This follows reports of unrest within al Shabaab among jihadists after one of the group’s spokesmen, Sheikh Mohammud Ali Dhere, denied responsibility for the Shamo Hotel suicide bombing.[10] 

• The speaker of Puntland’s Parliament escaped an assassination attempt. A remote-controlled landmine exploded near his vehicle, killing a security guard and injuring a colleague. Security forces arrived on the scene shortly afterwards and are investigating the incident.[11]