Gulf of Aden Security Review - May 29, 2019

Yemen: Islamic State in Yemen claims attack on AQAP in al Bayda; Saudi-led coalition conducts airstrikes in Sana’a and Ma’rib

Horn of Africa: Suspected al Shabaab militants detonate IEDs on highways near Mogadishu; SFG security forces conduct operation against al Shabaab in Middle Shabelle region; US removes Eritrea from counterterrorism non-cooperation list

Yemen Security Brief

The Islamic State in Yemen claimed to attack al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) militants in al Bayda governorate in central Yemen on May 28. The attack killed two AQAP fighters.^[1]

The Saudi-led coalition conducted airstrikes on an al Houthi weapons depot at Daylami Air Force Base in Yemen’s capital Sana’a on May 28. The coalition also conducted airstrikes against al Houthi positions in Sirwah district in Ma’rib governorate in central Yemen on May 29.^[2]

Horn of Africa Security Brief

Suspected al Shabaab militants detonated three improvised explosives devices (IEDs) along three highways in the vicinity of the Somali capital Mogadishu on May 29. The explosions targeted Somali National Army and African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) vehicles, causing multiple casualties.[3]

Somali Federal Government (SFG) security forces killed four al Shabaab militants in Adale district in Middle Shabelle region in central Somalia on May 28. The SFG stated that one of the militants was a senior commander but did not name the individual.[4]

The US government removed Eritrea from a list of countries deemed not to be cooperating fully with US counterterrorism efforts on May 28. The list includes Iran, North Korea, Syria, and Venezuela. The UN previously removed sanctions on Eritrea in November 2018 that it had imposed in response to Eritrea’s support for armed groups in the Horn of Africa.[5]

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