Critical Threats Today
A regular summary of al Qaeda operations in Yemen and Africa as well as major events in Iran.
These are the major events from March 31 for Iran and for al Qaeda operations in Yemen and Africa. Please see the Iran News Roundup, the Gulf of Aden Security Review, and the weekly Threat Update for more details.
Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)’s influence in Taiz city, central Yemen, is increasing as the city remains contested between the al Houthi-Saleh faction and fractious opposing coalition.
AQAP may beoperating some public institutions and providing security through local forces that do not necessarily publicize their AQAP affiliation. AQAP began governed by proxy in al Mukalla, Yemen’s third-largest port city, for a year before an Emirati-backed operation recaptured the city. (Related Reading: AQAP Expanding behind Yemen's Frontlines)
Citations & Links
Severe drought and food insecurity have displaced more than one million people in Somalia.
Al Shabaab will probably exploit the humanitarian crisis to expand its influence within populations outside of the Somali Federal Government’s reach. Al Shabaab already claimed to distribute food and water aid to thousands of families throughout central and southern Somalia in the last month. (Related reading: Al Shabaab’s History with Humanitarian Assistance)
Citations & Links
An ISIS group based in Libya may have facilitated a planned attack on U.S. soil.
ISIS leadership in Syria relayed orders to an “American recruit” through the ISIS branch that once controlled Sirte, a coastal city in central Libya. The recruit was ordered to conduct an attack in the U.S., according to the Telegram account of a pro-ISIS militant. ISIS may use its regional hubs to coordinate attacks against Western targets, mitigating the impact of losses in Iraq and Syria on its ability to plan and execute external operations.
Citations & Links
Jamatul Ahrar, a Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan splinter group, seeks to inflame sectarian tensions in Pakistan’s Federally Administered Tribal Areas.
Jamatul Ahrar detonated a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) near a Shia religious site in Parachinar, Kurram Agency, killing at least 22 people. The attack ends a short operational pause following a series of high-casualty Jamatul Ahrar attacks in February 2017.
