Yemen: Iranian media reports al Houthis capture Hadi military camp in Ma’rib governorate; Hadi government announces measures for Hadi government liaison officers to resume participation in UN observations posts in al Hudaydah governorate; STC forces bomb al Houthi militant sites in Dhaleh governorate; al Houthi factions from Taiz and Dhaleh governorate clash in Taiz governorate
Horn of Africa: AFRICOM launched five airstrikes targeting al Shabaab in southern Somalia; al Shabaab fired mortar shells on AMISOM base in Mogadishu; al Shabaab claims high SNA and AMISOM casualties in previous attack in Lower Shabelle region; SNA claims arresting al Shabaab head of tax collection; al Shabaab destroys security cameras in Mogadishu
Yemen Security Brief:
An Iranian news outlet reported that al Houthi militants seized Kofel camp, a military camp belonging to the internationally recognized Yemeni President Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi, in Sirwah district in Ma’rib governorate in northern Yemen on March 17. Al Houthi militants claimed they captured the town of Tabab al Bara in Sirwah district on March 10.[1]
The internationally recognized Yemeni Foreign Minister Mohammed al Hadhrami announced on March 18 a set of measures for Hadi government liaison officers to resume participation in UN observation posts in al Hudaydah governorate in western Yemen. These measures included ensuring the security of observation posts and pressuring the militants to permit the UN to monitor the observation posts. Al Houthi militants shot and injured a Hadi government liaison officer in al Hudaydah governorate on March 12. The attack caused several Hadi government liaison officers to suspend their participation in UN observation posts established to monitor a cease-fire in the governorate.[2]
The United Arab Emirates (UAE)-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC) forces claimed bombing al Houthi militant sites in Dhaleh governorate in southern Yemen on March 18.[3]
Al Houthi militants from Sa’ada governorate in northern Yemen clashed with al Houthi militants from Taiz governorate in Taiz governorate in southwestern Yemen on March 19. The al Houthi militants from Sa’ada reportedly arrested al Houthi militants fighting in Taiz governorate that refused to fight in other governorates.[4]
Horn of Africa Security Brief
US Africa Command (AFRICOM) released a statement announcing that it launched five airstrikes targeting al Shabaab in Janaale in the Lower Shabelle region in southern Somalia on March 16 and 17. AFRICOM did not claim any militant or civilian casualties. The Somali National Army and African Union Mission in Somalia forces retook control of Janaale from the militants on March 16.[5]
Al Shabaab fired five mortar shells on African Union Mission to Somalia’s (AMISOM) Halane base camp in the Somali capital Mogadishu on March 18. Local sources reported an unspecified number of casualties, however, AMISOM has not yet commented on the attack. Al Shabaab attacked the base with mortar shells on March 1.[6]
Al Shabaab released two statements on March 17 claiming that it caused 98 casualties in its attack on Somali National Army (SNA) and African Union Mission to Somalia (AMISOM) troops in Bufow in the Lower Shabelle region in southern Somalia on March 16. The group claimed that it killed 52 Ugandan AMISOM soldiers and wounded 35 others, and killed seven Turkish-trained and two US-trained SNA soldiers. Al Shabaab claimed on March 16 that it conducted a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device attack targeting SNA and AMISOM troops in Bufow on the same day.[7]
The Somali National Army (SNA) claimed to have arrested the head of al Shabaab’s tax collection in an unspecified location in the Lower Shabelle region on March 19. The SNA identified the militant as Mohamed Yusuf Mansur.[8]
Al Shabaab detonated improvised explosive devices to destroy surveillance cameras in the Somali capital Mogadishu on March 19. The militants targeted closed-circuit TV cameras in Dabka junction and at Wehliye Hotel. The group targeted four such cameras on major roads in Mogadishu in late January.[9]
[1] “Yemeni troops seize major military camp in Ma’rib,” Tasnim News Agency, March 18, 2020, https://www.tasnimnews.com/en/news/2020/03/18/2226262/yemeni-troops-seize-major-military-camp-in-ma-rib; and Samuel Bloebaum and Pamela Makadsi, “Gulf of Aden Security Review-March 12, 2020,” Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute, March 12, 2020, https://www.criticalthreats.org/briefs/gulf-of-aden-security-review/gulf-of-aden-security-review-march-12-2020.
[2] “Yemen’s legitimate government sets conditions for return of liaison officers to Hodeidah,” Asharq al Awsat, March 19, 2020, https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2188606/yemen%E2%80%99s-legitimate-government-sets-conditions-return-liaison-officers-hodeidah; and Samuel Bloebaum and Pamela Makadsi, “Gulf of Aden Security Review-March 12, 2020,” Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute, March 12, 2020, https://www.criticalthreats.org/briefs/gulf-of-aden-security-review/gulf-of-aden-security-review-march-12-2020.
[3] “Southern forces destroy Houthi military sites north of dali,” 7adramout, March 19, 2020, https://www.7adramout.net/almashhadalaraby/7333003/%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%82%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AC%D9%86%D9%88%D8%A8%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%AA%D9%8F%D8%AF%D9%85%D8%B1-%D9%85%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%82%D8%B9-%D8%B9%D8%B3%D9%83%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%AD%D9%88%D8%AB%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%B4%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B6%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9.html.
[4] “Houthi factions fight in Taiz rejecting forced recruitment,” 7adramout, March 19, 2020, https://www.7adramout.net/almashhadalaraby/7333048/%D8%A7%D9%82%D8%AA%D8%AA%D8%A7%D9%84-%D9%81%D8%B5%D8%A7%D8%A6%D9%84-%D8%AD%D9%88%D8%AB%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%AA%D8%B9%D8%B2-%D8%B1%D9%81%D8%B6%D8%A7-%D9%84%D9%80-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AA%D8%AC%D9%86%D9%8A%D8%AF-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%82%D8%B3%D8%B1%D9%8A.html.
[5] “Federal Government of Somalia, AMISOM, AFRICOM conduct operations against al-Shabaab,” US Africa Command, March 19, 2020, https://www.africom.mil/media-room/pressrelease/32644/federal-government-of-somalia-amisom-africom-conduct-operations-against-al-shabaab; and Samuel Bloebaum and Pamela Makadsi, “Gulf of Aden Security Review – March 17, 2020,” Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute, March 17, 2020, https://www.criticalthreats.org/briefs/gulf-of-aden-security-review/gulf-of-aden-security-review-march-17-2020.
[6] “Al-Shabaab fires mortar shells at base hosting US embassy in Somalia,” Garowe, March 19, 2020, https://www.garoweonline.com/en/news/somalia/al-shabaab-fires-mortar-shells-at-base-hosting-us-embassy-in-somalia; and “Al-Shabaab launches mortar attacks on Halane base camp in Mogadishu,” Somaliland Standard, March 1, 2020, https://somalilandstandard.com/al-shabab-launches-mortar-attacks-on-halane-base-camp-in-mogadishu/.
[7] “Shabaab Reports 96 Casualties in Major Engagement with SNA and AMISOM Forces in Lower Shabelle,” SITE Intelligence Group, March 18, 2020, available by subscription at www.siteintelgroup.com; and “Shabaab Claims Suicide Bombing, 5 IED Blasts on SNA and AMISOM Forces in Lower Shabelle,” SITE Intelligence Group, March 16, 2020, available by subscription at www.siteintelgroup.com.
[8] “SNA capture head of Al-Shabaab tax collector in lower Shabelle,” Goobjoog, March 19, 2020, https://goobjoog.com/english/sna-capture-head-of-al-shabab-tax-collector-in-lower-shabelle/.
[9] “Al-Shabaab destroys CCTV cameras with IED blasts in Somalia’s capital,” Garowe, March 19, 2020 https://www.garoweonline.com/en/news/somalia/al-shabaab-destroys-cctv-cameras-with-ied-blasts-in-somalias-capital; and Jessica Kocan, “Gulf of Aden Security Review – January 30, 2020,” Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute, January 30, 2020, https://www.criticalthreats.org/briefs/gulf-of-aden-security-review/gulf-of-aden-security-review-january-30-2020.