Gulf of Aden Security Review - January 14, 2014

Yemen: Yemeni Army deploys to Dammaj, Sa’ada to oversee departure of non-local Salafi students; gunmen kill army colonel in Hadramawt

Horn of Africa: Gunmen assassinate Somali businessman in Mogadishu; al Shabaab officer surrenders in Lower Jubba region; al Shabaab militants defect in Gedo region

Yemen Security Brief

• The Yemeni army deployed units to Dammaj in Sa’ada governorate on January 11 to oversee the implementation of a ceasefire agreement between Salafists and al Houthis there. Under the agreement, all non-local students at the Dar al Hadith religious school must depart by January 15. The head of the presidential mediation committee, Yahya Abu Isba, added that both sides of the conflict would be withdraw from their positions and would be replaced by army troops.[1]

• Gunmen riding a motorcycle killed an army officer, Colonel Abd al Ghani al Muqalih, in Hadramawt governorate on January 14. Muqalih was the director of the Hadramawt branch of the Yemen Economic Corporation. No group has claimed responsibility for the assassination.[2]

Horn of Africa Security Brief

• Gunmen killed a local Somali businessman in the Suqbacad area of Yaqshid district in Mogadishu on January 13. The motive behind the murder remains unknown as the gunmen fled the scene following the shooting.[3]

• An al Shabaab officer surrendered to local authorities in Afmadow district in Lower Jubba region. The officer, Abdullahi Dalas, was active throughout Lower and Middle Jubba regions.[4]

• Seven al Shabaab militants surrendered to Somali government forces in Gedo region. The militants surrendered in the wake of a recent government declaration granting al Shabaab defectors full amnesty.[5]