Gulf of Aden Security Review – July 29, 2022

Yemen: The Presidential Leadership Council reshuffled Yemen’s cabinet; Houthis aim to disarm tribes in northern Yemen; unidentified militants attacked a local official’s home in southern Yemen

Somalia: Al Shabaab conducts a massive suicide raid near the Ethiopian border in southwestern Somalia; al Shabaab suicide bomber kills a state official in southwestern Somalia

Yemen Security Brief:

The Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) reshuffled the Yemeni government’s cabinet on July 28.[i] The PLC appointed Mohsen al Da’ari as Minister of Defense, Saeed Suleiman Barakat al Shamasi as Minister of Oil and Minerals, Mane’ Saleh Yaslam bin Yamin as Minister of Electricity and Energy, and Salem Muhammad al Aboudi al Huraizi as Minister of Public Works and Roads. The PLC removed Muhammad al Maqdashi as defense minister and appointed him as an advisor for defense and security affairs to President Alimi.

Tribal sources reported on July 27 that the Houthis aim to disarm tribes in areas under their control.[ii] The Houthis are reportedly doing so by purchasing weapons “at exorbitant prices” from tribes in Sana'a, Dhamar, Hajjah, Amran and al Mahwit governorates in northern Yemen.

Unidentified militants detonated an improvised explosive device targeting the home of a Dhaleh governorate official in al Awabel, Dhaleh governorate, southern Yemen, on July 28.[iii]

Somalia Security Brief:

Al Shabaab conducted a complex suicide vehicle-borne improvise explosive device (SVBIED) raid targeting Somali Region Liyu police at Aato, El Barde district, Bakool region, southwestern Somalia, on July 29. Al Shabaab mortared the police positions before using an unspecified number of SVBIEDs to breach the base perimeter. Hundreds of al Shabaab fighters then entered the base.[iv] Al Shabaab claimed to overrun the police positions and kill 103 Liyu police.[v] Al Shabaab also claimed to use anti-aircraft weapons to repel Ethiopian MiG fighter jets assisting the Liyu.[vi] Al Shabaab targeted the same police position alongside several other Ethiopian positions along the Somali-Ethiopian border on July 20.[vii]

An al Shabaab suicide bomber assassinated a South West State minister IVO Baidoa, Bay region, southwestern Somalia, on July 29.[viii] The bomber detonated a suicide vest as the minister was leaving a mosque after Friday prayers. The explosion also killed 10 other people, including bodyguards and civilians.