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: Islamic State in Yemen claims attack on al Houthis in al Bayda governorate; US Secretary of State announces US and partner forces interdicting Iranian-manufactured weapon shipment off Yemen’s coast; Saudi-led coalition claims destroying al Houthi explosive-laden boats in Red Sea; al Houthis reportedly launch missile targeting Ma'rib city; Saudi-led coalition launches airstrikes on al Houthis in Sana'a governorate
Horn of Africa: AFRICOM conducts airstrike against al Shabaab in Lower Shabelle region; al Shabaab claims repelling joint US-Somali attack in Lower Shabelle region; al Shabaab claims seizing Kenyan military base and attacks communication mast and police station in eastern Kenya
Yemen Security Brief:
The Islamic State in Yemen claimed attacking three al Houthi positions in Qayfa area in central Yemen’s al Bayda governorate on July 7. The militants reportedly detonated an improvised explosive device (IED), killing seven al Houthi militants and injuring six others. The Islamic State in Yemen previously claimed an attack on al Houthi militants in Dhaleh governorate’s Juban district in early April.[1]
The US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced on July 8 that the US and partner forces interdicted a vessel transporting Iranian-manufactured weapons off Yemen’s coast on June 28. The US Navy previously intercepted a dhow carrying Iranian-manufactured weapons intended for the al Houthi movement in the Arabian Sea in early February.[2]
Saudi-led coalition forces claimed destroying two explosive-laden al Houthi boats near al Hudaydah governorate’s Port Salif on July 9. Saudi-led coalition forces intercepted and destroyed two al Houthi remote-controlled IED boats, known as drone boats, in the Red Sea in mid-March.[3]
Forces aligned with the Transitional Political Council of the South (STC) claimed attacking forces aligned with the internationally recognized Yemeni government of Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi in Habban district in southern Yemen’s Shabwah governorate on July 10. The Hadi government and STC reportedly began peace talks in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, in early July.[4]
Al Houthi militants reportedly launched a missile targeting the capital of Ma’rib governorate, Ma'rib city, on July 8. The missile allegedly hit a residential area. The Saudi-led coalition launched airstrikes targeting al Houthi positions in Ma'rib governorate on July 7.[5]
Hadi government forces claimed taking territory from al Houthi militants in Nihm district in Sana'a governorate on July 10. Saudi-led coalition forces launched airstrikes on al Houthi positions in Nihm district on July 9. The raids reportedly caused several al Houthi casualties and destroyed military vehicles.[6]
Horn of Africa Security Brief:
US Africa Command (AFRICOM) conducted an airstrike targeting an al Shabaab checkpoint near Hantiwadaag in southern Somalia’s Lower Shabelle region on July 9. The airstrike destroyed the checkpoint, killing one al Shabaab militant. AFRICOM previously conducted an airstrike targeting al Shabaab in southern Somalia’s Middle Jubba region in mid-May.[7]
Al Shabaab claimed repelling a joint US-Somali forces attack in Mubarak town in Lower Shabelle region on July 10. Al Shabaab reported killing three Somali special forces soldiers and wounding four others. Al Shabaab killed four African Union Mission to Somalia forces in Lower Shabelle on July 7.[8]
Al Shabaab claimed seizing a Kenyan military base near Karkara area in eastern Kenya’s Garissa County on July 9. Al Shabaab also attacked a communications mast and a Kenyan police station in Garissa County on the same day. Kenyan officials reported al Shabaab destroyed the communications mast before Kenyan police repelled the attack. Al Shabaab attacked Kenyan police in Garissa County in late May.[9]
[1] Elizabeth Kendall, Twitter, July 8, 2020, https://twitter.com/Dr_E_Kendall/status/1280945210978193409; and Jessica Kocan, “Yemen File: COVID-19 strain expedites Saudi Arabia’s exit from Yemen war,” Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute, April 29, 2020, https://www.criticalthreats.org/briefs/yemen-file/yemen-file-covid-19-strain-expedites-saudi-arabias-exit-from-yemen-war.
[2] “Secretary Michael R. Pompeo at a Press Availability,” Department of State, July 8, 2020, https://www.state.gov/secretary-michael-r-pompeo-at-a-press-availability-8/; and Jessica Kocan, “Yemen File: AQAP Emir Rallies Group Under New Leadership Before Plotting External Attacks,” Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute, March 9, 2020, https://www.criticalthreats.org/briefs/yemen-file/AQAP-Emir-Rallies-Group-Under-New-Leadership.
[3] “The Arab coalition destroys two Houthi booby-trapped boats south of Al-Salif port,” SMA News, July 8, 2020, https://smanews.org/news/192542; and Jessica Kocan, “Yemen File: Al Houthi Movement Offensive Targets Oil in Northern Yemen,” Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute, April 10, 2020, https://www.criticalthreats.org/briefs/yemen-file/yemen-file-al-houthi-movement-offensive-targets-oil-in-northern-yemen
[4] “Southern resistance bombed Brotherhood militia sites in Al-Aram Habban area,” 7adramout, July 10, 2020, https://www.7adramout.net/almandebnews/7434458/%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D9%82%D8%A7%D9%88%D9%85%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AC%D9%86%D9%88%D8%A8%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%AA%D9%82%D8%B5%D9%81-%D9%85%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%82%D8%B9-%D9%84%D9%84%D9%85%D9%8A%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%B4%D9%8A%D8%A7-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AE%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%A8%D9%85%D9%86%D8%B7%D9%82%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%B1%D9%85-%D8%AD%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%86.html; “Amidst news of Saudi pressure on Hadi ... consultations between the Yemeni government and the Transitional Council to form a new government,” Al Jazeera, July 7, 2020, https://www.aljazeera.net/news/politics/2020/7/6/%d9%88%d8%b3%d8%b7-%d8%a3%d9%86%d8%a8%d8%a7%d8%a1-%d8%b9%d9%86-%d8%b6%d8%ba%d9%88%d8%b7-%d8%b3%d8%b9%d9%88%d8%af%d9%8a%d8%a9-%d8%b9%d9%84%d9%89-%d9%87%d8%a7%d8%af%d9%8a-%d8%a8%d8%af%d8%a1/.
[5] “Wounded people, including women and children, with a Houthi missile targeting a residential neighborhood in Marib,” 7adramout, July 9, 2020, https://www.7adramout.net/4MAY/7433302/%D9%82%D8%AA%D9%84%D9%89-%D8%AC%D8%B1%D8%AD%D9%89-%D8%A8%D9%8A%D9%86%D9%87%D9%85-%D9%86%D8%B3%D8%A7%D8%A1-%D9%88%D8%A3%D8%B7%D9%81%D8%A7%D9%84-%D8%A8%D8%B5%D8%A7%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%AE-%D8%AD%D9%88%D8%AB%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%AA%D9%87%D8%AF%D9%81-%D8%AD%D9%8A-%D8%B3%D9%83%D9%86%D9%8A-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D9%85%D8%A3%D8%B1%D8%A8.html; and Matthew Eady and Zachary Jaynes, “Gulf of Aden Security Review – July 8, 2020,” Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute, June 8, 2020, https://www.criticalthreats.org/briefs/gulf-of-aden-security-review/gulf-of-aden-security-review-july-8-2020.
[6] “In a surprise attack ... the national army controls the "Neham steel" junction and the coalition fighters enter the battle with the intensification of the confrontations in the meantime,” Al Mashhad al Yemeni, July 10, 2020, https://www.almashhad-alyemeni.com/171660; “Intense raids by the Arab alliance on Houthi militia sites in Sanaa,” Al Mashhad al Yemeni, July 9, 2020, https://www.almashhad-alyemeni.com/171544.
[7] “Federal Government of Somalia, AFRICOM target al Shabaab,” US Africa Command, July 9, 2020, https://www.africom.mil/pressrelease/32997/federal-government-of-somalia-africom-target; and Muhammad Ramadhito and Kalissa Azooz, “Gulf of Aden Security Review – May 18, 2020,” Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute, May 18, 2020, https://www.criticalthreats.org/briefs/gulf-of-aden-security-review/gulf-of-aden-security-review-may-18-2020.
[8] “Shabaab Claims Bombing on Somali Police Behind Qatari Embassy, Seizing Control Over Kenyan Base in Garissa,” SITE Intelligence Group, July 9, 2020, available by subscription at www.siteintelgroup.com; and Matthew Eady and Zachary Jaynes, “Gulf of Aden Security Review – July 8, 2020,” Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute, July 8, 2020, https://www.criticalthreats.org/briefs/gulf-of-aden-security-review.
[9] “Shabaab Claims Bombing on Somali Police Behind Qatari Embassy, Seizing Control Over Kenyan Base in Garissa,” SITE Intelligence Group, July 9, 2020, available by subscription at www.siteintelgroup.com; Muhammad Ramadhito and Kalissa Azooz, “Gulf of Aden Security Review – May 20, 2020,” Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute, May 20, 2020, https://www.criticalthreats.org/briefs/gulf-of-aden-security-review/gulf-of-aden-security-review-may-20-2020; Amina Wako, “Al Shabaab militants attack police station in Garissa,” Nairobi News, July 9, 2020, https://nairobinews.nation.co.ke/editors-picks/al-shabaab-militants-attack-police-station-in-garissa; and Matthew Eady and Zachary Jaynes, “Gulf of Aden Security Review – June 15, 2020,” Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute, June 15, 2020 https://www.criticalthreats.org/briefs/gulf-of-aden-security-review/gulf-of-aden-security-review-june-15-2020.
