Gulf of Aden Security Review - February 19, 2014

Yemen: Police arrest AQAP militant in Abyan; tribesmen attack power lines north of Sana’a

Horn of Africa: Militants attack Somali police forces in Mogadishu; Ras Kamboni militia conducts security operation in Lower Jubba region; Ethiopian AMISOM forces continue movement in central Somalia

Yemen Security Brief

• Yemeni police arrested Yada’ Assilel Ayad Abdullah, an al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) militant, in Zinjibar city in Abyan governorate on February 19.[1]

• A tribal attack on electrical power lines north of Sana’a left a power plant in Ma’rib governorate inoperable on February 19. The attack was the eighth such assault since February 1.[2]

Horn of Africa Security Brief

• Militants fired mortar shells and artillery strikes at a Somali police base in the Dharkenely district of Mogadishu on February 18. Although casualty figures remain unclear, district officials confirmed the attack inflicted significant damage. Residents of Daynile and Yaqshid districts in Mogadishu also reported hearing heavy conflict. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.[3]

• The Ras Kamboni militia, acting as the interim Jubba administration’s security force, killed at least seven people during a search operation throughout Kismayo in Lower Jubba on February 18. The operation came in response to the killing of Isse Kamboni, the leader of the interim Jubba administration’s security forces, by an individual linked to al Shabaab.[4]

• The Ethiopian AMISOM contingent continues positioning troops in Somalia’s central regions. Ethiopian AMISOM forces moved into Dhusamareb and Guriel in Galgadud region, where Ethiopian military officials have met with commanders from the Ahlu Sunna wa al Jama’a militia. Meanwhile, al Shabaab militants continue to vacate towns in Hiraan region, reportedly gathering in Hiraan’s Bulo-Burde district.[5]