Gulf of Aden Security Review

Yemen: Suspected al Qaeda leaders speak at southern rally; twenty-five al Houthi rebels killed during special operations in Sa'ada; Deputy Speaker of Parliament suspended his membership following attack on al Qaeda

Horn of Africa: WFP officer gunned down in Beledweyne; explosion targets Hizb al Islam base in Elasha Biyaha near Afgoi; fighting between al Shabaab and government forces near Sarkusta between Afgoi and Mogadishu; Ahlu Sunna Waljama'a clerics resolve to form administrations in towns under their control

Yemen Security Review

• Suspected al Qaeda leaders spoke at an anti-government rally in al Majalah in Abyan province. An al Jazeera broadcast showed an unmasked man and an armed companion saying, "Soldiers, you should know that we do not want to fight you. There is no problem between you and us. Our problem is with America and its allies. Beware taking the side of America."[1] 

• Military and independent sources report that over twenty-five al Houthi rebels were killed and approximately ten supply cars destroyed during special operations executed by the Yemeni army in Sa'ada. Additional operations in Maran and Bani Muath killed Hassan Hamoud Guthayah, the al Houthi leader in Maran, and leaders' hideouts.[2] 

• Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Mohammad al Shadadi, suspended his membership in Parliament to protest the attacks on alleged al Qaeda militants in Abyan province. On Sunday, the Parliament approved a measure summoning Rashad al Alimi, the Deputy Prime Minister for Defense and Security Affairs, to clarify the circumstances of the attack.[3] 

Horn of Africa Security Review

• Ali Farah Arney, a World Food Program officer, was gunned down by unidentified gunmen. Arney was the head of the security department of the UN compound in Beledweyne. This follows Hizb al Islam's ban on humanitarian workers carrying arms.[4] 

• An explosion targeted a Hizb al Islam base in Elasha Biyaha, which is between Afgoi and Mogadishu. Reportedly, no one was injured in the blast. This is the first time that Hizb al Islam fighters have been targeted.[5] 

• Heavy fighting erupts between al Shabaab militants and government forces in the Sarkusta area, which is between Afgoi and Mogadishu. Both sides have claimed victory. Al Shabaab spokesman, Sheikh Ali Mohamed Rage said the fighting began when al Shabaab militants attacked a new military base in Sarkusta. The Deputy Commander of the Transitional Federal Government force, Afrah Ali Afrah, countered this by saying that there was no heavy fighting in the area.[6] 

• Leading clerics of Ahlu Sunna Waljama'a have issued a resolution during their conference in Abudwaq district in Galgudud. The group has resolved to establish administrations for all towns and villages currently under the control of Ahlu Sunna Waljama'a clerics in central Somalia.[7]