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 militants clash with Saudi-led coalition forces in Ma’rib governorate; Saudi-led coalition forces target al Houthi sites in Hajjah governorate; al Houthi militants shell Saudi-led coalition forces in al Bayda governorate
Horn of Africa: AFRICOM airstrike kills five al Shabaab militants in central Somalia; al Shabaab executes former militant intelligence officer; Jubbaland State security forces withdraw from Mandera County, Kenya
Yemen Security Brief:
The Saudi-led coalition forces claimed that they clashed with al Houthi militants in Sirwah district in Ma’rib governorate in northern Yemen on March 10. The Saudi-led coalition forces destroyed al Houthi military equipment and killed several militants, according to local sources.[1]
The Saudi-led coalition forces raided al Houthi sites in Mustaba and Harad districts in Hajjah governorate in northwestern Yemen on March 10. The raids destroyed two al Houthi weapons storage facilities.[2]
The al Houthi militants shelled Saudi-led coalition forces in Shriyaf in al Bayda governorate in southern Yemen. The shelling killed six civilians and injured others.[3]
Horn of Africa Security Brief:
US Africa Command (AFRICOM) conducted an airstrike targeting al Shabaab near Janaale in central Somalia’s Lower Shabelle region on March 10. The strike killed five militants. AFRICOM conducted an airstrike targeting al Shabaab near Janaale the day prior.[4]
Somalia’s National Intelligence and Security Agency reported that al Shabaab arrested and executed its former high ranking Amniyat (intelligence) officer Muse Moalim in Buale in southern Somalia’s Middle Jubba region on March 9. Moalim coordinated Amniyat activity in Somalia’s capital Mogadishu before resigning in mid-February for reasons that remain unclear. His resignation occurred a week after al Shabaab’s leader expelled the Amniyat commander from al Shabaab’s executive council for questioning the group’s targeting of civilians in attacks in Mogadishu.[5]
Jubbaland State security forces pulled out of eastern Kenya’s Mandera County and moved to southwestern Somalia’s Gedo region on March 9. The presence of Jubbaland State security forces in Kenya caused political tension between the Somali and Kenyan governments. A Kenyan delegation met with Somali President Mohamed Farmajo on March 8 to discuss these tensions and scheduled future negotiations between the two governments.[6]
[1] “ A bloody night in Marib.. The battles are most intense in Sarwah between the army and the houthis,” al Mashhad al Yemeni, March 11, 2020, https://www.almashhad-alyemeni.com/159787.
[2] “The Arab coalition targets Houthi sites in Hajjah,” 7adramout, March 11, 2020, https://www.7adramout.net/yafa-news/7325532/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AA%D8%AD%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%81-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%B1%D8%A8%D9%8A-%D9%8A%D8%B3%D8%AA%D9%87%D8%AF%D9%81-%D9%85%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%82%D8%B9-%D8%AD%D9%88%D8%AB%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%AD%D8%AC%D8%A9.html.
[3] “6 martyrs and wounded due to artillery shelling by houthi militia on Qifa, al bayda areas,” Adengd, March 11, 2020, http://adengd.net/news/449866/.
[4] “Federal Government of Somalia, AFRICOM target al-Shabaab,” AFRICOM, March 10, 2020, https://www.africom.mil/media-room/pressrelease/32626/federal-government-of-somalia-africom-target-al-shabaab; and Pamela Makadsi and Samuel Bloebaum, “Gulf of Aden Security Review - March 10, 2020,” Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute, March 10, 2020, https://www.criticalthreats.org/briefs/gulf-of-aden-security-review/gulf-of-aden-security-review-march-10-2020.
[5] “Senior Al-Shabaab intelligence commander killed by fellow militants in Somalia,” Garowe, March 11, 2020, https://www.garoweonline.com/en/news/somalia/a-senior-al-shabaab-intelligence-commander-killed-by-fellow-militants-in-somalia; and Pamela Makadsi, Minatullah Alobaidi, and Jessica Kocan, “Gulf of Aden Security Review - February 14, 2020,” Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute, February 14, 2020, https://www.criticalthreats.org/briefs/gulf-of-aden-security-review/gulf-of-aden-security-review-february-14-2020.
[6] “Somalia's Jubaland forces pull out of Mandera as Governor Roba recalls staff,” Garowe, March 10, 2020, https://www.garoweonline.com/en/news/somalia/somalias-jubaland-forces-pull-out-of-mandera-as-governor-roba-recalls-staff; and Pamela Makadsi and Samuel Bloebaum, “Gulf of Aden Security Review - March 9, 2020,” Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute, March 9, 2020, https://www.criticalthreats.org/briefs/gulf-of-aden-security-review/gulf-of-aden-security-review-march-9-2020.
