Yemen: Al Houthis attack Saudi capital and southwestern cities; al Houthis allegedly claim Hadi-controlled territory in Ma'rib governorate; Saudi-led coalition forces arrive in Abyan governorate to monitor Hadi-STC cease-fire; Hadi government forces reclaim al Houthi-held territory in al Jawf governorate; Hadi government forces repel al Houthi advance in al Bayda governorate
Horn of Africa: Al Shabaab suicide attack in Mogadishu kills at least one civilian; ISCA claims killing five UN peacekeepers in DRC; UNSC extends mandate for Somali state-building assistance program by two months
Yemen Security Brief:
The al Houthi movement claimed a large-scale ballistic missile and explosive drone attack on the Saudi capital, Riyadh, and southwestern cities of Jizan and Najran on June 23. An al Houthi movement spokesman claimed the attack destroyed the Saudi Defense and Intelligence ministries and King Salman Air Base in Riyadh and other unspecified military targets in Jizan and Najran. A Saudi spokesman claimed Saudi forces intercepted an al Houthi ballistic missile launched from the Yemeni capital, Sana'a, toward Riyadh. The al Houthi movement previously launched ballistic missiles targeting Riyadh in late March.[1]
Al Houthi militants reportedly took control of territory from forces aligned with the internationally recognized Yemeni government of Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi in Sirwah district in northern Yemen’s Ma’rib governorate on June 22. Al Houthi militants reportedly announced advancing toward Ma’rib city over mosque loudspeakers in al Hazm city, the capital of al Jawf governorate, on June 17.[2]
Saudi-led coalition forces arrived in Abyan governorate in southern Yemen on June 24 to monitor a cease-fire between Hadi government and Transitional Political Council of the South (STC) forces. Hadi government forces attacked STC forces near Zinjibar city in Abyan governorate on June 23. The Saudi-led coalition said on June 22 that the STC and Hadi government agreed to a cease-fire in Abyan governorate and a de-escalation of tensions in other southern areas.[3]
Hadi government forces reportedly recaptured territory from al Houthi militants near al Hazm district in northern Yemen’s al Jawf governorate. Hadi government forces claimed killing two al Houthi militant leaders during these attacks. Hadi government forces, supported by Saudi-led coalition airstrikes, reportedly attacked al Houthi militants in al Jawf governorate in mid-June.[4]
Hadi government forces claimed repelling an al Houthi advance in Qaniya district in central Yemen’s al Bayda governorate. Hadi government forces clashed with al Houthi militants after Hadi government and tribal reinforcements arrived to Qaniya district on June 21.[5]
Horn of Africa Security Brief:
An al Shabaab militant detonated a suicide vest targeting Somali National Army (SNA) forces at a Turkish military base in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, on June 23. Somali officials reported that the security authorities shot the militant. The vest’s detonation killed at least one person and injured two others. Suspected al Shabaab militants targeted SNA vehicles near a Turkish-run school in Mogadishu’s Hodan district on June 18.[6]
The Islamic State’s Central Africa Province (ISCA) claimed killing five UN peacekeepers in east-central Democratic Republic of the Congo’s North Kivu region near Beni city on June 23. ISCA also claimed killing one Congolese soldier in an attack near Beni city on June 22 and two other soldiers near the city on June 20. ISCA previously claimed killing 20 Congolese soldiers near Beni city in late May.[7]
The UN Security Council (UNSC) voted on June 23 to extend the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia’s (UNSOM) mandate until August 31. The UNSC established UNSOM in 2013 to provide peacebuilding and state-building assistance to the Somali Federal Government and African Union Mission in Somalia forces. UNSOM’s mandate was scheduled to end on June 30.[8]
[1] Sudarsan Raghavan and Sarah Dadouch, “Yemeni rebels announce missile and drone strikes on Saudi capital,” Washington Post, June 23, 2020, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/yemeni-rebels-announce-missile-and-drone-strikes-on-saudi-capital/2020/06/23/fc350730-b53b-11ea-9a1d-d3db1cbe07ce_story.html; and Jessica Kocan, “Yemen File: Al Houthi Movement Offensive Targets Oil in Northern Yemen,” Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute, April 10, 2020, https://www.criticalthreats.org/briefs/yemen-file/yemen-file-al-houthi-movement-offensive-targets-oil-in-northern-yemen.
[2] “Houthi militias control a strategic location in Ma’rib,” 7adramout, June 23, 2020, https://www.7adramout.net/4MAY/7416754/%D9%85%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%B4%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AD%D9%88%D8%AB%D9%8A-%D8%AA%D8%B3%D9%8A%D8%B7%D8%B1-%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%89-%D9%85%D9%88%D9%82%D8%B9-%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%AA%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%AA%D9%8A%D8%AC%D9%8A-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D9%85%D8%A3%D8%B1%D8%A8.html; and Matthew Eady and Zachary Jaynes, “Gulf of Aden Security Review – June 19, 2020,” Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute, June 19, 2020, https://www.criticalthreats.org/briefs/gulf-of-aden-security-review/gulf-of-aden-security-review-june-19-2020.
[3] “Saudi-led coalition deploys troops to monitor truce between Yemeni allies,” Reuters, June 24, 2020, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-yemen-security-separatists/saudi-led-coalition-deploys-troops-to-monitor-truce-between-yemeni-allies-idUSKBN23V1L2; Bassel Barakat, “Yemeni army, separatists clash despite cease-fire,” Anadolu Agency, June 23, 2020, https://www.aa.com.tr/en/world/yemeni-army-separatists-clash-despite-cease-fire/1886809; “Coalition monitors arrive at the contact lines of Abyan,” 7adramout, June 24, 2020, https://www.7adramout.net/almashhadalaraby/7418074/%D9%88%D8%B5%D9%88%D9%84-%D9%85%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%82%D8%A8%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AA%D8%AD%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%81-%D8%A5%D9%84%D9%89-%D8%AE%D8%B7%D9%88%D8%B7-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AA%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%B3-%D8%A8%D8%A3%D8%A8%D9%8A%D9%86.html; and Matthew Eady and Zachary Jaynes, “Gulf of Aden Security Review – June 22, 2020,” Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute, June 22, 2020, https://www.criticalthreats.org/briefs/gulf-of-aden-security-review/gulf-of-aden-security-review-june-22-2020.
[4] Ismaeel Naar, “Two Houthi militia leaders killed in northern al-Jawf province: Sources,” Al Arabiya, June 24, 2020, https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/gulf/2020/06/24/Two-Houthi-militia-leaders-killed-in-northern-al-Jawf-province-Sources.html; and Matthew Eady and Zachary Jaynes, “Gulf of Aden Security Review – June 22, 2020,” Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute, June 22, 2020, https://www.criticalthreats.org/briefs/gulf-of-aden-security-review/gulf-of-aden-security-review-june-22-2020.
[5] “A suicide attack by the Houthi militia in Al-Bayda and dozens of people were killed,” Mareb Press, June 24, 2020, https://marebpress.net/news_details.php?lang=arabic&sid=164744; and Matthew Eady and Zachary Jaynes, “Gulf of Aden Security Review – June 22, 2020,” Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute, June 22, 2020, https://www.criticalthreats.org/briefs/gulf-of-aden-security-review/gulf-of-aden-security-review-june-22-2020.
[6] “Al Shabaab claims suicide attack outside Turkish base in Somalia,” Al Jazeera, June 23, 2020, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/06/al-shabab-claims-suicide-attack-turkish-base-somalia-200623091635465.html; Harun Maruf, “Civilian Killed in Attack on Turkey Military Training Center in Somalia,” Voice of America, June 23, 2020, https://www.voanews.com/africa/civilian-killed-attack-turkey-military-training-center-somalia; and Matthew Eady and Zachary Jaynes, “Gulf of Aden Security Review – June 19, 2020,” Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute, June 19, 2020, https://www.criticalthreats.org/briefs/gulf-of-aden-security-review/gulf-of-aden-security-review-june-19-2020.
[7] “ISCAP Claims Killing 5 UN Peacekeepers in DRC, Strikes on Congolese Soldiers,” SITE Intelligence Group, June 23, 2020, available by subscription at www.siteintelgroup.com; and Muhammad Ramadhito and Kalissa Azooz, “Gulf of Aden Security Review – May 18, 2020,” Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute, May 18, 2020, https://www.criticalthreats.org/briefs/gulf-of-aden-security-review/gulf-of-aden-security-review-may-18-2020.
[8] “Security Council extends mandate of UN Assistance Mission in Somalia,” Garowe, June 23, 2020, https://www.garoweonline.com/en/news/somalia/security-council-extends-mandate-of-un-assistance-mission-in-somalia#:~:text=On%20March%2030%2C%20the%20UN,the%20country%20from%20political%20turmoil; and Jessica Kocan and Samuel Bloebaum, “Gulf of Aden Security Review – March 31, 2020,” Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute, March 31, 2020, https://www.criticalthreats.org/briefs/gulf-of-aden-security-review/gulf-of-aden-security-review-march-31-2020.