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 Houthis unveil new weapons; al Houthi and anti–al Houthi forces clash in Ma’rib governorate;
Horn of Africa: Al Shabaab detonates IED in Mogadishu; al Shabaab attacks Kenyan military bases in northeastern Kenya
Yemen Security Brief:
The al Houthi movement unveiled a range of new weapons during the Martyr Leader Exhibition for Military Industries on March 11. The weapons included the Sae’er and Qassem-2 ballistic missiles, the Samad-4 drone, and 11 new naval mines.[i]
Al Houthi and anti–al Houthi forces clashed along the al Masjah and Kassara fronts in Sirwah district in central Yemen’s Ma’rib governorate on March 12. The Saudi-led coalition launched airstrikes on al Houthi reinforcements in Sirwah district the same day.[ii]
Horn of Africa Security Brief:
Al Shabaab militants detonated an improvised explosive device (IED) targeting a vehicle carrying a COVID-19 awareness team in Karan district in Somalia’s capital Mogadishu on March 10. Al Shabaab claimed the attack targeted Somalia National Army (SNA) troops. Al Shabaab detonated a suicide vehicle-borne IED targeting security officials in Mogadishu’s Hamar Jabjab district in early March.[iii]
Al Shabaab attacked a Kenyan military base in El Ram village in northeastern Kenya’s Mandera County on March 10. The group attacked a Kenyan military base in Konton town in neighboring Wajir County the same day. Al Shabaab previously attacked a Kenyan military base in Wajir County on March 3.[iv]
[i] “Yemeni Armed Forces have unveiled a number of new ballistic and winged missiles, and drones, in addition to various types of weapons of the latest industries,” Al Masirah, March 11, 2021, https://english.almasirah.net/post/18226/.
[ii] “The Yemeni army controls villages in Hajjah and the US envoy is making some progress in the consultations,” Al Jazeera, March 12, 2021, https://www.aljazeera.net/news/politics/2021/3/12/%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%8a%d9%85%d9%86-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%ac%d9%8a%d8%b4-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%88%d8%b7%d9%86%d9%8a-%d9%8a%d8%b3%d9%8a%d8%b7%d8%b1-%d8%b9%d9%84%d9%89-%d9%82%d8%b1%d9%89-%d9%81%d9%8a; “The coalition aircraft targets Houthi reinforcements in al Jadaan and Sirwah,” Al Mashhad al Yemeni, March 12, 2021, https://www.almashhad-alyemeni.com/197316; and Lauren Detter and Amelia Frederking, “Gulf of Aden Security Review – March 10, 2021,” Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute, March 10, 2021, https://www.criticalthreats.org/briefs/gulf-of-aden-security-review/gulf-of-aden-security-review-march-10-2021.
[iii] “Shabaab Claims Raids in Kenya, Targets Vehicle it Identifies as Military But Belongs to COVID-19 Awareness Team Personnel,” SITE Intelligence Group, March 11, 2021, available by subscription at www.siteintelgroup.com; Mohammed Dhaysane, “Somalia: 1 dead as bomb targets COVID-19 awareness team,” Anadolu Agency, March 10, 2021, https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/somalia-1-dead-as-bomb-targets-covid-19-awareness-team/2170867; and Lauren Detter and Amelia Frederking, “Gulf of Aden Security Review – March 8, 2021,” Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute, March 8, 2021, https://www.criticalthreats.org/briefs/gulf-of-aden-security-review/gulf-of-aden-security-review-march-8-2021.
