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: Al Houthi movement claims offensive in southern Saudi Arabia; Southern Giants forces survive IED attack in Aden; Hadi government forces claim advances in Dhaleh
Horn of Africa: Al Shabaab claims attacks in northeastern Kenya and Lower Shabelle region; al Shabaab spokesman delivers religious lecture in new video
Yemen Security Brief
Al Houthi spokesman Yahya Sarea announced an al Houthi offensive in region in southwestern Saudi Arabia on June 5. Sarea claimed that al Houthi forces had captured twenty military positions and killed or wounded more than 200 Saudi-led coalition soldiers since the offensive began on June 2.[1]
Unidentified militants detonated an improvised explosive device (IED) targeting Yemeni soldiers from the Southern Giants Third Brigade in district in Aden city in southern Yemen on June 5. The attack did not cause any casualties.[2]
Forces aligned with President Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi claimed to seize multiple al Houthi positions in al Azariq district in western Dhaleh governorate in south-central Yemen on June 6.[3]
Horn of Africa Security Brief
Al Shabaab claimed to ambush Kenyan security forces in County in northeastern Kenya on June 4, killing or wounding 25 soldiers. Al Shabaab claimed to detonate an IED targeting Somali special forces in Lower Shabelle region in southern Somalia the day prior, killing six soldiers. Neither attack is confirmed.[4]
Al Shabaab’s al Kata’ib Media Foundation released a video of a religious lecture by al Shabaab spokesman Ali Mohamed Rage AKA Ali Dheere on June 4.[5]
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[1] “Yemen’s Houthis claim seizing 20 positions in Saudi Arabia,” al Jazeera, June 5, 2019, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/06/yemen-houthis-claim-seizing-20-positions-saudi-arabia-190606030429810.html.
[2] “Survival of members of the Third Brigade Giants of an assassination attempt by an improvised explosive device in Aden,” Al Masdar, June 6, 2019, https://almasdaronline.com/articles/168288.
[3] “Army advances in al Dhaleh following attack on militias’ sites in Al-Azariq,” September Net, June 6, 2019, http://en.26sepnews.net/2019/06/06/army-advances-in-al-dhale-following-an-attack-on-militias-sites-in-al-azariq/.
[4] “Shabaab Photographs Eid al-Fitr Celebrations in Held-Territories, Claims 25 Casualties Among Kenyan Forces in Mandera,” SITE Intelligence Group, June 6, 2019, English translation available by subscription at www.siteintelgroup.com.
[5] Aaron Y. Zelin, “New video message from Harakat al-Shabab al-Mujahidin’s Shaykh ‘Ali Mahmud Rage: ‘And God Is Predominant Over His Affair’,” Jihadology, June 4, 2019, https://jihadology.net/2019/06/04/new-video-message-from-%E1%B8%A5arakat-al-shabab-al-mujahidins-shaykh-ali-ma%E1%B8%A5mud-rage-and-god-is-predominant-over-his-affair/.
