Gulf of Aden Security Review - July 1, 2014

Yemen: AQAP releases statement possibly referencing ISIS’ declaration of an Islamic Caliphate; suspected AQAP militants assassinate Yemeni soldiers in al Bayda

Horn of Africa: Al Shabaab militants attack SNA base in Lower Shabelle region; al Shabaab conducts multiple attacks in Mogadishu; IED detonates near Jubbaland security forces in Lower Jubba region

Yemen Security Brief

• Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsual (AQAP) media’s arm, al Malahem Media Foundation, released a statement to jihadi forums on June 30 and YouTube on July 1. Harith bin Ghazi al Nadhari, an AQAP religious official, in the statement criticized those who race to accomplish good deeds outside of the recommended time, possibly referring to Islamic State of Iraq and al Sham’s (ISIS) declaration of the formation of an Islamic Caliphate in Iraq and Syria on June 28.[1]

• Suspected AQAP militants assassinated two soldiers in al Haykal, al Bayda on July 1.[2]

Horn of Africa Security Brief

• Al Shabaab militants attacked a Somali National Army (SNA) base near Qoryoley, Lower Shabelle region on June 30. The SNA forces engaged the militants, repelling the attack.[3]

• A car bomb detonated, killing a Somali government official, in the Shibis district of Mogadishu on June 30. Separately, assailants threw grenades and opened fire on a military checkpoint in the city, killing at least one SNA soldier, on June 30.  Finally, gunmen killed three Somali soldiers on patrol in Mogadishu on July 1. Al Shabaab spokesman Sheikh Abdul Aziz Abu Musab claimed the series of attacks for al Shabaab, stating that the recent violence is part of an intensified Ramadan offensive in the capital.[4]

• An improvised explosive device (IED) detonated in the Shaqalaha neighborhood of Kismayo, Lower Jubba region on July 1. The blast, which appeared to target Jubbaland security forces, killed one civilian and injured three Jubbaland security officers. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the explosion.[5]