Gulf of Aden Security Review
A regularly updated review of both Yemen and the Horn of Africa covering topics related to security, governance, and militant activity.
Yemen: Second round of negotiations to reopen roads in Taiz collapses; ROYG security forces launch search operations targeting AQAP in southern Yemen; Houthis launch drone targeting Southern Transitional Council-aligned troops in southern Yemen
Somalia: US drone strike kills al Shabaab militants in southwestern Somalia; Danab special forces destroy al Shabaab bases; al Shabaab targets Kenyan lawmaker
Yemen Security Brief:
The Yemeni government’s negotiating delegation in Amman, Jordan announced that the second round of negotiations with the Houthis to reopen roads around Taiz governorate failed on June 5.[i] Media sources said negotiations collapsed due to the Houthis’ continued insistence that the parties discuss reopening roads in other governorates. The government also reportedly rejected the Houthis’ reopening of a “secondary” road not intended to be a subject of the negotiations.[ii] The UN-brokered truce intended for main roadways to be reopened in Taiz. The delegation said that talks with the Houthis had reached a “dead end.” The first round of negotiations failed on May 29.[iii]
Abyan security forces and the 3rd Presidential Guard Brigade conducted search operations near al Mahfad district, Abyan governorate, southern Yemen, on June 5.[iv] The operations targeted possible al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula militants in al Mahfad. Unknown “criminal gangs” have been attacking civilians travelling through the district.
The Houthis launched an explosive-laden drone targeting a military camp held by Southern Transitional Council-aligned forces in al Dhaleh governorate, southern Yemen, on June 5.[v] The attack wounded four soldiers.
Somalia Security Brief:
US Forces conducted a drone strike targeting al Shabaab militants near Beer Haani, Kismayo district, southwestern Somalia, on June 3.[vi] The attack reportedly killed five al Shabaab insurgents and resulted in no civilian casualties. The United States coordinated with the Somali Federal Government to respond to an al Shabaab attack on security forces. US-trained Danab commandos claimed to clear an al Shabaab-controlled village in “planned” operations in nearby Yaq Halul earlier on June 3.[vii]
US-trained Danab special forces attacked al Shabaab bases near Toarorow and Aliyow Barow, Lower Shabelle region, Somalia, on June 4.[viii] Danab destroyed al Shabaab bases and captured six al Shabaab fighters.
Al Shabaab fighters detonated an improvised explosive device (IED) targeting a Kenyan police convoy transporting a Kenyan lawmaker on the road between Sagailu and Masalani, Garissa county, Kenya, on June 5.[ix] The IED injured at least five Kenyan police officers.
[i] Mareb Press, “Jordan’s negotiations reach a dead end and threaten to announce the withdraw of the government delegation,” June 5, 2022, https://marebpress.net/news_details.php?sid=184834&lang=arabic; Al Montasaf, “News of the failure of the second round of negotiations to open Taiz roads,” June 6, 2022, http://almontasaf.net/news69131.html.
[ii] Mareb Press, “Serious information about the secondary road that the Houthi militia intends to open to circumvent the negotiations to lift the siege on Taiz,” June 6, 2022, https://marebpress.net/news_details.php?sid=184853&lang=arabic.
[iii] Brian Carter, Max Ryabinin, and Christopher Muth, “Gulf of Aden Security Review – June 1, 2022,” Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute, June 1, 2022, https://www.criticalthreats.org/briefs/gulf-of-aden-security-review/gulf-of-aden-security-review-june-1-2022.
[iv] Mahra Post, “A security and military campaign in Abyan to hunt down the intermittent gangs in the central region and al Mahfad,” June 5, 2022, https://almahrahpost.com/news/31470; Hadramawt, “Abyan security launches a wide security campaign to pursue gangs of intermittent people in the central region and al Mahfad,” June 5, 2022, http://www.7adramout.net/adenghad/7869733/%D8%A3%D9%85%D9%86-%D8%A3%D8%A8%D9%8A%D9%86-%D9%8A%D8%B4%D9%86-%D8%AD%D9%85%D9%84%D8%A9-%D8%A3%D9%85%D9%86%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%B9%D8%A9-%D9%84%D9%85%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AD%D9%82%D8%A9-%D8%B9%D8%B5%D8%A7%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%AA%D9%82%D8%B7%D8%B9%D9%8A%D9%86-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D9%86%D8%B7%D9%82%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%88%D8%B3%D8%B7%D9%89-%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%AD%D9%81%D8%AF.html.
[v] News Yemen Fronts, “4 soldiers were wounded in a Houthi attack with a drone north of al Dhaleh,” June 6, 2022, https://www.newsyemen.net/new/85105.
[vi] Somali Ministry of Information, @MOISOMALIA, Twitter, June 3, 2022, https://twitter.com/MOISOMALIA/status/1532768748632948739.
[vii] Christopher Muth and Liam Karr, “Gulf of Aden Security Review – June 3, 2022,” Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute, June 3, 2022, https://www.criticalthreats.org/briefs/gulf-of-aden-security-review/gulf-of-aden-security-review-june-3-2022.
[viii] Somali Dispatch, “Danab forces capture al Shabaab stronghold in Lower Shabelle,” June 6, 2022, https://www.somalidispatch.com/latest-news/danab-forces-captures-al-shabaab-stronghold-in-lower-shabelle/.
[ix] Caasimada, “Al Shabaab targets Kenya lawmaker and his bodyguards,” June 6, 2022, https://www.caasimada.net/al-shabaab-oo-qarax-la-beegsatay-xildhibaan-ka-tirsan-kenya-iyo-ilaaladiisa/.
