Gulf of Aden Security Review - October 10, 2013

Yemen: Gunmen open fire near the Interior Minister building in Sana’a; gunmen kill political security officer in Hadramawt; locals turn to Ansar al Sharia for dispute resolution in al Rada’a, al Bayda; al Houthis continue shelling Damaj, Sa’ada

Horn of Africa: al Shabaab arrests businessman connected to Navy SEALs; Somali forces and AMISOM free hostages in Bardale, Bay region; al Shabaab bans Kismayo charcoal exporting; Chairman of House Homeland Security Committee calls on President Obama to address al Shabaab threat

Yemen Security Brief

• Gunmen opened fire in front of the Ministry of the Interior and Rescue Police buildings, targeting a house next door owned by an individual named al Kassar in Hadda, Sana’a city on October 9. Local sources have reported that security forces have increased their presence in the capital.[1]

• Gunmen on a motorcycle killed a political security officer in al Mukalla, Hadramawt governorate on October 10.[2]

• Security officials in al Rada’a, al Bayda governorate said that because of a security vacuum in the district, locals have turned to Ansar al Sharia, the insurgent arm of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), to mediate disputes.[3]

• Al Houthis shelled Damaj, Sa’ada governorate for the third consecutive day on October 10. Two civilians died and five were wounded.[4]

Horn of Africa Security Brief

• Al Shabaab arrested Barawe businessman Kasim Gandeele for allegedly assisting and communicating with U.S. Navy SEALs prior to the Barawe raid, on October 9.[5]

• Somali National Army forces and AMISOM rescued multiple civilian hostages during a clash with al Shabaab in Qanasax-Omane village in the Bardale area of Bay region on October 9.[6]

• An al Shabaab spokesperson announced a ban on exporting charcoal from Kismayo in Lower Jubba region and threatened persons caught exporting charcoal from the AMISOM controlled Kismayo port on October 10.[7]

• The Chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee Representative Michael McCaul called on President Barack Obama to address the al Shabaab threat to the U.S.[8]