Gulf of Aden Security Review - October 21, 2013

Yemen: IED attack in al Mukalla, Hadramawt; AQAP kills colonel in Hadramawt; governor escapes assassination attempt in Lahij; militants attack checkpoint in Shabwah; military repels attack in Hajjah; explosion and gunfire heard in Sana’a; security forces respond to attacks in al Bayda; intelligence arrests officers cooperating with AQAP in al Bayda; saboteurs attack power lines in Ma’rib

Horn of Africa: Al Shabaab suicide bomb in the Beledweyne, Hiraan region; al Shabaab grenade attacks in Lower Shabelle towns; Somali forces arrest dozens in Daynille district, Banadir region; al Shabaab militants kill soldier in Mogadishu

Yemen Security Brief

• An improvised explosive device (IED) wounded four soldiers inside a military pickup truck in al Mukalla, Hadramawt governorate on October 20.[1]

• Suspected al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) gunmen on a motorcycle shot and killed a colonel in Sayun, Hadramawt governorate on October 18.[2]

• Gunmen attacked the governor of Lahij governorate and exchanged gunfire with his bodyguards on the road to al Hawta, Lahij on October 19. The governor and his guards escaped uninjured.[3]

• Militants attacked a military checkpoint near Ataq, Shabwah governorate on October 20. The attackers used machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs). No injuries were reported.[4]

• Members of the 25th Brigade repelled an attack by unknown gunmen at a checkpoint in Qafl Shamar, Hajjah governorate on October 21. The clash killed one soldier and one militant.[5]

• An explosion and heavy gunfire occurred near Mathbah, Sana’a city on October 21. Casualty figures were not reported.[6]

• Military planes intensified their sorties and security reinforcements arrived to reinforce checkpoints in al Bayda in response to attacks on October 17. On October 19 military forces shelled mountains in Mukayras, al Bayda where AQAP militants were believed to be hiding.[7]

• Military intelligence officials arrested two soldiers accused of cooperating with AQAP in al Bayda governorate on October 19.[8]

• Saboteurs attacked the Ma’rib-Sana’a power lines in Ma’rib governorate on October 21, causing the Ma’rib gas station to go out of service. Security services accused Saleh Nader bin Kalaan.[9]

Horn of Africa Security Brief

• An al Shabaab suicide bombing killed at least 19 people and wounded approximately 30 at a restaurant in the Beledweyne, Hiraan region on October 19. The attack killed Somali civilians, Somali National Army troops, and AMISOM forces from Djibouti and Ethiopia.[10]

• Suspected al Shabaab militants threw grenades into the mayor’s house in Marka town and into an AMISOM base in Afogi town, Lower Shabelle region on October 19. Somali officials did not release casualty figures from the attacks.[11]

• Somali security forces arrested dozens of suspected al Shabaab members during a security sweep of Daynille district, Banadir region on October 20.[12]

• Two suspected al Shabaab militants shot and killed a Somali National Army soldier at Fagah Junction in Mogadishu on October 20.[13]