Gulf of Aden Security Review - June 19, 2018

Yemen: Emirati-backed forces seize majority of al Hudaydah Airport; Iranian President tells Qatari Emir military approach in Yemen will fail

Horn of Africa: U.S. forces capture militants at al Shabaab intelligence headquarters in Awdheegle, Lower Shabelle region; al Shabaab militants attack Somali forces in Kismayo, Lower Jubba region

Yemen Security Brief

Emirati and Emirati-backed troops seized the majority of al Hudaydah Airport on the outskirts of al Hudaydah port city, western Yemen on June 19.  A commander of the Emirati-backed Yemeni National Resistance Forces Abu Zarah al Mahrami reported that Emirati-backed forces are still pursuing small groups of al Houthi forces inside the airport. Al Hudaydah Airport is approximately eight miles from al Hudaydah Port.^[1]

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani told Qatar’s Emir Tamim bin Hamad al Thani that a military approach in Yemen will fail during a meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Istanbul, Turkey on June 18. Rouhani told al Thani that the crisis in Yemen should be solved through negotiations.^[2]

Horn of Africa Security Brief

U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) troops raided an al Shabaab intelligence headquarters in Awdheegle town, Lower Shabelle region, southern Somalia. The U.S. forces killed two al Shabaab members and captured seven commanders in the attack.^[3]

Al Shabaab militants attacked the Somali National Army (SNA) and Jubbaland military forces in Sanguni, Kismayo district, Lower Jubba region, southern Somalia on June 19. The Somali military forces killed seven al Shabaab militants in the fight. The al Shabaab attack injured five Somali officers. The attack occurred at the same location as the June 8 al Shabaab attack that killed one American serviceman and wounded four others. Somali and Kenyan forces supported by U.S. advisors were establishing a combat outpost at Sanguni at the time of the June 8 attack.^[4]