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 portrays US as ‘loser’ in aftermath of 9/11 and urges attacks on US interests; Saudi-led coalition launches airstrikes on al Houthi–held Yemeni capital; Hadi government–aligned forces clash with al Houthis in Ma’rib governorate; al Houthis launch ballistic missile and explosive UAVs on Ma’rib governorate
Horn of Africa: Al Shabaab attacks AMISOM base outside Mogadishu; SNA claims causing al Shabaab causalities in southwestern Somalia; suspected al Shabaab militants cause own causalities while assembling IED in northeastern Kenya
Yemen Security Brief:
Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) published a report in its “Inspire” magazine on September 13 on the aftermath of 9/11. It remarked that the US has been a “loser” since the 9/11 attacks, citing the growth of the Salafi-jihadi movement following US involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan. AQAP urged supporters to carry out “lone-wolf” attacks on US interests. The group previously urged attacks on staff members of the French magazine, Charlie Hebdo, on September 10 for republishing cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed.[i]
Saudi-led coalition forces launched several airstrikes targeting the al Houthi–held Yemeni capital Sana’a on September 13. Coalition forces launched several airstrikes on Sana’a city on September 12.[ii]
Forces aligned with the internationally recognized Yemeni government of Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi clashed with al Houthi militants on al Abdiyah front in Yemen’s northern Ma’rib governorate. Hadi government–aligned forces claimed killing 16 al Houthi militants and capturing six others. Hadi government–aligned forces claimed killing several dozen al Houthi militants in Ma’rib governorate’s Mahliyah district on September 10.[iii]
Al Houthi militants launched a ballistic missile targeting Ma’rib city, the capital of Ma’rib governorate, on September 12. The attack injured seven civilians. A spokesman for the Yemeni Army said that the military intercepted two al Houthi explosive unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) launched toward Ma’rib on the same day. Al Houthi militants launched a ballistic missile and explosive UAVs toward Saudi Arabia on September 10.[iv]
Horn of Africa Security Brief:
Al Shabaab militants attacked an African Union Mission to Somalia base in Arbacow village, outside the Somali capital, Mogadishu. A suspected al Shabaab militant conducted a suicide vest attack on a restaurant in Mogadishu on September 9.[v]
The Somali National Army (SNA) said it killed six al Shabaab militants and wounded four others when the militants ambushed the SNA near Beled Hawo in southwestern Somalia’s Gedo region on September 11. Al Shabaab militants detonated an improvised explosive device (IED) targeting Somalia’s education minister near Beled Hawo in mid-August.[vi]
Three suspected al Shabaab militants died while attempting to assemble an IED in Kenya’s northeastern Garissa County on September 10. The explosion injured four other militants. A suspected al Shabaab IED killed a security official in Kenya’s northeastern Mandera County in early September.[vii]
[i] “AQAP Describes U.S. as Long-Term Loser in Post-9/11 World, Calls Lone Wolves to Attack American Interests Everywhere,” SITE Intelligence group, September 13, 2020, available by subscription at www.siteintelgroup.com; and Rahma Bayrakdar and Jessica Kocan, “Gulf of Aden Security Review – September 11, 2020,” Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute, September 11, 2020, https://www.criticalthreats.org/briefs/gulf-of-aden-security-review/gulf-of-aden-security-review-september-11-2020.
[ii] “Saudi aggression targets Yemeni capital,” Alalam TV, September 14, 2020, https://www.alalamtv.net/news/5157536; and “Yemen: Coalition night raids on Sanaa and Marib and dozens Houthis killed in battles,” Al Jazeera, September 13, 2020, https://www.aljazeera.net/news/politics/2020/9/13/%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%8a%d9%85%d9%86-%d8%ba%d8%a7%d8%b1%d8%a7%d8%aa-%d9%84%d9%8a%d9%84%d9%8a%d8%a9-%d9%84%d9%84%d8%aa%d8%ad%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%81-%d9%81%d9%8a-%d8%b5%d9%86%d8%b9%d8%a7%d8%a1.
[iii] “National army kills 16 al Houthis and captures 6 others in al Abdiyah, Ma’rib,” Al Mashhad al Yemeni, September 13, 2020, https://www.almashhad-alyemeni.com/178580; and Rahma Bayrakdar and Jessica Kocan, “Gulf of Aden Security Review – September 11, 2020,” Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute, September 11, 2020, https://www.criticalthreats.org/briefs/gulf-of-aden-security-review/gulf-of-aden-security-review-september-11-2020.
[iv] “Seven wounded by Houthi ballistic missile shrapnel and two explosives destroyed in Ma’rib’s sky,” News Yemen, September 13, 2020, https://www.newsyemen.net/new/61188l; and Rahma Bayrakdar and Jessica Kocan, “Gulf of Aden Security – September 11, 2020,” Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute, September 11, 2020, https://www.criticalthreats.org/briefs/gulf-of-aden-security-review/gulf-of-aden-security-review-september-11-2020.
[v] “African Union army base attacked by al Shabaab,” Mareeg, September 13, 2020, https://mareeg.com/african-union-army-base-attacked-by-al-shabaab/; and Rahma Bayrakdar and Jessica Kocan, “Gulf of Aden Security – September 11, 2020,” Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute, September 11, 2020, https://www.criticalthreats.org/briefs/gulf-of-aden-security-review/gulf-of-aden-security-review-september-11-2020.
[vi] “Somali army kills six al Shabaab militants near Balad Hawo,” Mareeg, September 12, 2020, https://mareeg.com/somali-army-kills-six-al-shabaab-militants-near-balad-hawo/; and Samuel Bloebaum and Matthew Eady, “Gulf of Aden Security Review – August 17, 2020,” Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute, August 17, 2020, https://www.criticalthreats.org/briefs/gulf-of-aden-security-review/gulf-of-aden-security-review-august-17-2020.
[vii] “3 al Shabaab militants blow themselves up while setting up IED,” Hiiraan, September 12, 2020, http://www.hiiraan.com/news4/2020/Sept/179912/3_al_shabaab_militants_blow_themselves_up_while_setting_up_ied.aspx; and “IED kills 3 al Shabaab militants, injures four in Garissa,” Horseed Media, September 12, 2020, https://horseedmedia.net/2020/09/12/ied-kills-3-al-shabaab-militants-injures-four-in-garissa/.
