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: Anti-al Houthi media claims al Houthi Defense Minister killed by own forces; Saudi Air Defense Forces intercept al Houthi drone near Saudi airspace
Horn of Africa: AFRICOM airstrike targets al Shabaab in Middle Jubba region; al Shabaab attacks SNA base in Lower Shabelle region; Ethiopian authorities arrest six more suspects linked to regional coup
Yemen Security Brief
Anti-al Houthi sources reported that al Houthi forces killed al Houthi Minister of Defense Mohammed Nasser Ahmed Atafi at a checkpoint in in northwestern Yemen on June 27. Atafi was inspecting the frontlines when al Houthi forces fired on his convoy in a premeditated assassination attempt, according to anti-al Houthi sources. The assassination is unconfirmed.[1]
Saudi Air Defense Forces intercepted an al Houthi drone near Saudi airspace on June 26. Al Houthi forces have increased drone attacks against southern Saudi Arabia in recent weeks in tandem with Iranian escalation against the US and its partners in the region.[2]
Horn of Africa Security Brief
United States Africa Command (US AFRICOM) conducted an airstrike targeting al Shabaab militants near Qunyo Barrow town in Middle Jubba region in southern Somalia on June 25, killing one militant. Al Shabaab claimed that the strike killed a local businessman, but AFRICOM stated that no civilians were killed.[3]
Al Shabaab attacked a Somali National Army (SNA) base in village in Lower Shabelle region in southern Somalia on June 26. Two SNA soldiers and three al Shabaab militants died during the clash. Suspected al Shabaab militants separately attacked an SNA officer with a grenade in Afgoi town near the Somali capital Mogadishu on June 26. The officer survived the attack.[4]
Ethiopian federal security forces arrested another six suspects linked to the June 22 attempted coup against the Amhara regional government in northern Ethiopia. Ethiopian authorities plan to charge the suspects with terrorism. Ethiopian authorities have arrested nearly 200 suspects in connection with the failed coup, which killed the Ethiopian National Defense Force’s Chief of Staff.[5]
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[1] “Urgent: The car was fired at the car carrying the Minister of Defense Huthi General Mohamed Nasser,” Al Mashhad al Yemeni, June 27, 2019, https://www.almashhad-alyemeni.com/137428.
[2] Al Jazeera, Twitter, June 26, 2019, https://twitter.com/AJABreaking/status/1143975874473156610; and “Threat Update-June 20, 2019,” Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute, June 20, 2019, https://www.criticalthreats.org/briefs/threat-update/the-houthis-attacked-the-us-and-partners-to-support-an-iranian-escalation.
[3] “U.S. airstrike targets al Shabaab in support of the Federal Government of Somalia,” United States Africa Command, June 27, 2019, https://www.africom.mil/media-room/pressrelease/31992/u-s-airstrike-targets-al-shabaab-in-support-of-the-federal-government-of-somalia; “US military accused of killing civilian in Somalia strike,” Mareeg, June 27, 2019, https://mareeg.com/us-military-accused-of-killing-civilian-in-somalia-strike/; and Harun Maruf, Twitter, June 27, 2019, https://twitter.com/HarunMaruf/status/1144187478418608128.
[4] Harun Maruf, Twitter, June 27, 2019, https://twitter.com/HarunMaruf/status/1144182378119749633; and Harun Maruf, Twitter, June 27, 2019, https://twitter.com/HarunMaruf/status/1144182998704828418.
[5] “Ethiopia police seek terrorism charges on suspects detained in connection with coup plot,” Addis Standard, June 27, 2019, https://addisstandard.com/news-ethiopia-police-seek-terrorism-charges-on-suspects-detained-in-connection-with-coup-plot-nama-says-56-of-its-members-arrested/; and “Gulf of Aden Security Review – June 25, 2019,” Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute, June 25, 2019, https://www.criticalthreats.org/briefs/gulf-of-aden-security-review/gulf-of-aden-security-review-june-25-2019.
