Gulf of Aden Security Review

Yemen: IED detonates in capital Sana’a; al Houthi militants fire on citizens in al Hudaydah; unidentified militants assassinate military intelligence officer in Aden

Horn of Africa: Security forces arrest al Shabaab suspects in Mogadishu; security forces detain suspects in Hiraan region; Somaliland forces clash with clan militia in Togdheer region

Yemen Security Brief

• An improvised explosive device (IED) detonated in the capital, Sana’a, on February 18. The blast targeted al Houthi guards and wounded two people. No group has claimed credit for the attack.[1]

• Al Houthi militants killed one citizen and wounded two others in Bajil, al Hudaydah on February 18. The citizens were reportedly trying to deny the al Houthis access to an oil terminal.[2]

• Unidentified militants assassinated a military intelligence officer of the 120th Intelligence Brigade in Aden city, Aden on February 18. No group has claimed credit for the assassination, but it was likely performed by either Ansar al Sharia or Southern Movement militants.[3]

Horn of Africa Security Brief

• Somali security forces arrested a number of suspected al Shabaab members on February 17 in Mogadishu. The operation comes after a February 16 al Shabaab attack which killed four.[4]

• Somali security forces aided by African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) forces detained 50 suspected al Shabaab members in Beledweyne, Hiraan region on February 18. The suspects are believed to have been involved in the February 17 killing of a businessman in Beledweyne.[5]

• Somaliland forces clashed with clan militias loyal to the breakaway Khatumo administration near Buuhoodle, Togdheer region in northern Somalia on February 17. Somaliland forces were attempting to capture Khatumo administration leaders when the fighting broke out.[6]