Gulf of Aden Security Review – May 2, 2022

Yemen: Houthis seize Egyptian vessel in the Red Sea; AQAP member escapes prison in eastern Yemen

Somalia: Al Shabaab roadside IED targets SNA colonel; US-trained Danab forces secure villages in southern Somalia; al Shabaab holds Eid al Fitr celebrations in central and southern Somalia

Yemen Security Brief:

Egyptian media reported on May 1 that the Houthis detained an Egyptian fishing vessel in the Red Sea in March or April.[i] The Houthis seized the vessel and detained its 29 crewmembers.

An al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) fighter reportedly escaped from a prison in Seiyun, Hadramawt governorate, eastern Yemen.[ii] Ten AQAP fighters escaped from the same prison on April 14.[iii]

Somalia Security Brief:

Al Shabaab detonated a roadside improvised explosive device (IED) targeting a Somali National Army (SNA) colonel convoy along the Balad-Jowhar Road, Middle Shabelle, south-central Somalia, on April 30.[iv] The blast killed at least nine soldiers, but the colonel survived. Al Shabaab claimed to kill 12 soldiers.[v]

US-trained Danab forces secured Leego, Jameo, and other undisclosed villages in Burhakaba district, Bay region, southern Somalia on May 1.[vi] Danab officials said they destroyed al Shabaab bases and money transfer points.[vii]

Al Shabaab’s regional administrations held Eid al Fitr celebrations in Middle Jubba, Lower Jubba, and Bakool regions, southern Somalia and Galgudud region, central Somalia, on May 2.[viii]