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: AQAP condemns India’s Citizenship Amendment Act; Islamic State in Yemen militants reportedly arrive in Aden city; al Houthis announce end of military operation in al Jawf governorate
Horn of Africa: SNA claims repelling al Shabaab attacks on SNA bases in southern Somalia; Ugandan AMISOM forces to suspend military rotations in Somalia due to COVID-19
Yemen Security Brief:
Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) released a statement on May 2 condemning India’s Citizenship Amendment Act. India’s Parliament passed a bill in December 2019 that would only grant non-Muslim immigrants from select Indian counties Indian citizenship. AQAP urged Muslims in India to rise up against discrimination by the Indian government and defend their religion alongside members of al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS). AQIS previously released a video on January 23 condemning the Indian citizenship law.[1]
Islamic State in Yemen militants reportedly arrived in Aden city in Aden governorate in southern Yemen on May 4 after al Houthi militants allegedly released them from prison in the Yemeni capital Sana’a. The al Houthi militants reportedly released 57 Islamic State militants that then moved through Qarn al Klassi and Shaqra in Abyan governorate in southern Yemen, respectively, before reaching Aden city. Suspected AQAP and Islamic State militants arrived in Qarn al Klassi and Arqub in al Bayda governorate from Ma’rib governorate in northern Yemen, according to unidentified sources cited in Yemeni local media on April 29.[2]
Al Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea announced on April 29 the end of the military operation to capture al Jawf governorate in northern Yemen, claiming that 95 percent of al Jawf’s population is now under al Houthi control. The al Houthi movement claimed capturing the Saudi-led coalition’s al Khanjar camp in Khub wa al Shaf district in al Jawf governorate on April 7. The al Houthi movement’s military operation to capture al Jawf governorate is part of a larger military ground campaign launched earlier this year to isolate Ma’rib governorate’s natural resources. Ma’rib governorate is the last stronghold of the internationally recognized Yemeni government in northern Yemen.[3]
Horn of Africa Security Brief:
The Somali National Army (SNA) claimed repelling al Shabaab attacks on SNA bases in El Salini and Barire in Somalia’s southeastern Lower Shabelle region on May 3. The SNA said it killed 10 al Shabaab militants and injured several others while incurring no SNA causalities. Al Shabaab killed over 20 SNA soldiers in an attack on the SNA’s El Salini base in late February.[4]
A Ugandan military official announced on May 2 that Ugandan African Union Mission to Somalia (AMISOM) forces will suspend their military rotations in Somalia to prevent the spread of coronavirus. This announcement comes after a Ugandan AMISOM soldier tested positive for coronavirus in late April.[5]
[1] “AQAP Urges Muslims in India Rise Up Against Citizenship Law,” SITE Intelligence Group, May 3, 2020, available by subscription at www.siteintelgroup.com; Helen Regan, Swati Gupta, and Omar Khan, “India passes controversial citizenship bill that excludes Muslims,” CNN, December 17, 2019, https://www.cnn.com/2019/12/11/asia/india-citizenship-amendment-bill-intl-hnk/index.html; and “AQIS spokesman decries Indian anti-Islam citizenship law, urges Muslims revolt and embrace jihad,” SITE Intelligence Group, January 23, 2020, available by subscription at www.siteintelgroup.com.
[2] “Bin Laghbar: ISIS leaders arrived in Aden after releasing them from Al Houthi prisons,” 7adramout, May 4, 2020, https://www.7adramout.net/almashhadalaraby/7375476/%D8%A8%D9%86-%D9%84%D8%BA%D8%A8%D8%B1--%D9%88%D8%B5%D9%88%D9%84-%D9%82%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%B9%D8%B4%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%A5%D9%84%D9%89-%D8%B9%D8%AF%D9%86-%D8%A8%D8%B9%D8%AF-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A5%D9%81%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%AC-%D8%B9%D9%86%D9%87%D9%85-%D9%85%D9%86-%D8%B3%D8%AC%D9%88%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AD%D9%88%D8%AB%D9%8A.html; and Kalissa Azooz and Jessica Kocan, “Gulf of Aden Security Review – April 29, 2020,” Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute, April 29, 2020, https://www.criticalthreats.org/briefs/gulf-of-aden-security-review/gulf-of-aden-security-review-april-29-2020.
[3] “Yemen: Houthi army spokesman declares end of Jawf operation, holds ‘key to Marib’,” Middle East Monitor, May 1, 2020, https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200501-yemen-houthi-army-spokesman-declares-end-of-jawf-operation-holds-key-to-marib/; Pamela Makadsi and Samuel Bloebaum, “Gulf of Aden Security Review – April 7, 2020,” Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute, April 7, 2020, https://www.criticalthreats.org/briefs/gulf-of-aden-security-review/gulf-of-aden-security-review-april-7-2020; 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] “Al-Shabaab launches attack on Somali army bases,” Radio Shabelle, May 4, 2020, https://www.radioshabelle.com/al-shabaab-launches-attack-on-somali-army-base/; 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] “Uganda suspends rotation of its troops in Somalia,” Garowe, May 4, 2020, https://www.garoweonline.com/en/news/world/africa/uganda-suspends-rotation-of-its-troops-in-somalia; and Muhammad Ramadhito and Jessica Kocan, “Gulf of Aden Security Review, - April 30, 2020,” Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute, April 30, 2020, https://www.criticalthreats.org/briefs/gulf-of-aden-security-review/gulf-of-aden-security-review-april-30-2020.
