Gulf of Aden Security Review – March 3, 2023

Yemen: The US and Royal Navies interdicted Iranian arms bound for the Houthis

Somalia: Kenya, Ethiopia, and Djibouti to send additional troops into Somalia for offensive operations within eight weeks; al Shabaab mortars Villa Somalia; al Shabaab IED kills two police officers

Yemen Security Brief:

US Naval Forces Central Command said it supported a Royal Navy interdiction of Iranian weapons bound for Yemen on February 23 in the Gulf of Oman with airborne intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance.[i] The Royal Navy recovered Iranian ballistic missile components and Kornet anti-tank guided missiles. 

Somalia Security Brief:

The Somali national security advisor announced on March 2 that Kenya, Ethiopia, and Djibouti will be sending more troops to Somalia to participate in offensive operations within eight weeks.[ii] The Somali national security advisor did not disclose the total number of troops but said they would be independent of the countries’ pre-existing African Union forces and be jointly under the command of the Somali security forces.[iii] The leaders of the three countries agreed to deploy additional soldiers to participate in “search and destroy” operations during a summit in Mogadishu on February 1.[iv] The national security advisor said these joint operations would be the second phase of the government’s counterterrorism offensive after the first phase culminated in central Somalia in January 2023.[v]

Al Shabaab mortared Villa Somalia, Wardhigley district, Mogadishu, on March 2.[vi] Stray mortars killed two civilians and injured six others.[vii]

Al Shabaab detonated an improvised explosive device targeting a Somali police vehicle in Mogadishu’s Karaan district on March 2.[viii] The explosion killed two policemen.