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: Al Houthis target several Saudi cities; Hadi government and STC forces reportedly exchange artillery in Abyan governorate; Hadi government forces clash with al Houthis in al Bayda governorate; Hadi government forces claim repelling al Houthi attack in al Hudaydah governorate
Horn of Africa: : Al Shabaab claims assassination attempt on SNA general in Mogadishu; al Shabaab claims bombing joint US-Somali special forces in southern Somalia; SNA kills seven al Shabaab militants in south-central Somalia; SNA forces claim killing senior al Shabaab official in southern Somalia; Kenyan police arrest two suspected militants in Kenya’s Rift Valley province
Yemen Security Brief:
Al Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sare'a announced on July 13 that al Houthi militants targeted several southwestern Saudi cities with ballistic missiles and explosive-laden drones. Sare’a claimed the attacks targeted military barracks and patriot missile systems in Khamis Mushait city and unspecified military targets in the airports of Abha, Jizan, and Najran cities. He also claimed that the attack targeted an oil facility in Jizan. Sare’a claimed this attack was in response to a Saudi-led coalition airstrike on July 12 that allegedly killed 10 civilians in northern Yemen’s Hajjah governorate. A Saudi-led coalition spokesman claimed coalition forces intercepted al Houthi missiles and drones targeting Saudi Arabia on July 12.[1]
Forces aligned with the internationally recognized Yemeni government of Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi reportedly exchanged artillery with forces aligned with the Transitional Political Council of the South (STC) in Zinjibar district in southern Yemen’s Abyan governorate on July 12. The Saudi-led coalition said that the STC and Hadi government agreed to a cease-fire in Abyan governorate in late June.[2]
Hadi government forces reportedly clashed with al Houthi militants in Qaniya front in central Yemen’s al Bayda governorate on July 12. Hadi government forces claimed preventing al Houthi militants from advancing in Qaniya front in early July.[3]
Hadi government forces claimed repelling an al Houthi attack near al Hudaydah governorate’s capital, al Hudaydah city, on July 11. Al Houthi militants shelled residential neighborhoods with artillery in al Hudaydah governorate’s Hays and al Tahita districts in early June.[4]
Horn of Africa Security Brief:
Al Shabaab claimed a suicide vehicle-borne improvised explosive device attack targeting Somalia’s Chief of Armed Forces and his convoy near Somalia’s Defense Ministry in Somalia’s capital Mogadishu on July 13. General Odowa Yusuf Rage survived the attack. Al Shabaab previously targeted General Rage with an improvised explosive device (IED) near Janaale in southern Somalia’s Lower Shabelle region in late March.[5]
Al Shabaab claimed an IED attack targeting US-Somali forces near Awdheegle district in Lower Shabelle region on July 11. Al Shabaab reportedly destroyed a US-Somali military vehicle, killing the driver and one soldier. Al Shabaab claimed repelling a US-Somali forces’ attack in Lower Shabelle region’s Mubarak town on July 10.[6]
Somali National Army (SNA) forces killed seven al Shabaab militants and injured five others near Bardale town in south-central Somalia’s Bay region on July 12. Somali officials reported that one SNA soldier died and three others were injured during the operation. SNA forces repelled an al Shabaab attack near Bay region’s Awdinle town on July 6.[7]
SNA forces claimed killing a senior al Shabaab official identified as Salad Dheere in Lower Shabelle region on July 10. SNA intelligence reports linked Dheere to al Shabaab’s recruitment, training, and tax collection. A US Africa Command airstrike destroyed an al Shabaab checkpoint in Lower Shabelle on July 9, killing one al Shabaab militant.[8]
Kenyan police arrested two suspected militants in western Kenya’s Rift Valley province on July 11. Kenyan police reported that the suspects possessed explosives and planned to target the province’s Eldoret International Airport. Al Shabaab attacked a Kenyan police station in eastern Kenya’s Garissa county on July 9.[9]
[1] “The Yemeni Armed Forces carried out a massive military operation targeting a number of Saudi military and vital enemy bases and installations in Jizan, Najran, and Asir,” Al Masirah, July 13, 2020, https://www.almasirah.net/post/162152/%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%82%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%B3%D9%84%D8%AD%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%8A%D9%85%D9%86%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%AA%D9%86%D9%81%D8%B0-%D8%B9%D9%85%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%B9%D8%B3%D9%83%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%B9%D8%A9-%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%89-%D9%82%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%B9%D8%AF-%D9%88%D9%85%D9%86%D8%B4%D8%A2%D8%AA-%D8%B9%D8%B3%D9%83%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%B3%D8%B9%D9%88%D8%AF%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%AC%D9%8A%D8%B2%D8%A7%D9%86-%D9%88; “10 Civilians Killed by US-Saudi Airstrike on Hajjah,” Al Masirah, July 13, 2020, https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=13934&cat_id=1; “The Joint Forces Command of the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen: Joint Coalition Forces Intercept, Destroy (2) Ballistic Missiles Launched by Terrorist, Iran-Backed Houthi Militia Toward the Kingdom Targeting Civilians, Civilian Objects,” Saudi Press Agency, July 13, 2020, https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=2109310#2109310; and Matthew Eady and Zachary Jaynes, “Gulf of Aden Security Review – July 8, 2020,” Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute, July 8, 2020, https://www.criticalthreats.org/briefs/gulf-of-aden-security-review/gulf-of-aden-security-review-july-8-2020.
[2] “Yemen … Clashes in Abyan and victims of raids of the Saudi-Emirati alliance in Hajjah,” Al Jazeera, July 12, 2020, https://www.aljazeera.net/news/politics/2020/7/12/%d8%a7%d8%a7-44; and Matthew Eady and Zachary Jaynes, “Gulf of Aden Security Review – June 24, 2020,” Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute, June 24, 2020, https://www.criticalthreats.org/briefs/gulf-of-aden-security-review/gulf-of-aden-security-review-june-24-2020.
[3] “Military sources confirm the defeat of the Houthi militia and the control of the army and the tribes over important sites in the Rakhim Front in Qaniya,” Al Mashhad al Yemeni, July 13, 2020, https://www.almashhad-alyemeni.com/172032; and Zachary Jaynes and Jessica Kocan, “Gulf of Aden Security Review – July 6, 2020,” Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute, July 6, 2020, https://www.criticalthreats.org/briefs/gulf-of-aden-security-review/gulf-of-aden-security-review-july-6-2020.
[4] “The national army announced repelling a violent attack by the Houthi coup militia,” Al Mashhad al Yemeni, July 12, 2020, https://www.almashhad-alyemeni.com/171868; and Samuel Bloebaum and Jessica Kocan, “Gulf of Aden Security Review – June 5, 2020,” Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute, June 5, 2020, https://www.criticalthreats.org/briefs/gulf-of-aden-security-review/gulf-of-aden-security-review-june-5-2020.
[5] “Shabaab Claims Suicide Bombing on Motorcade of Somali Military Chief,” SITE Intelligence Group, July 13, 2020, available by subscription at www.siteintelgroup.com; and “Somali army chief survives suicide attack in Somalia,” Xinhua, July 13, 2020, http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2020-07/13/c_139209675.htm; and Jessica Kocan and Samuel Bloebaum, “Gulf of Aden Security Review – March 31, 2020,” Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute, March 31, 2020, https://www.criticalthreats.org/briefs/gulf-of-aden-security-review/gulf-of-aden-security-review-march-31-2020.
[6] “Shabaab claims follow-up attack on joint force of American and Somali troops in Lower Shabelle,” SITE Intelligence Group, July 13, 2020, available by subscription at www.siteintelgroup.com; and Matthew Eady and Zachary Jaynes, “Gulf of Aden Security Review – July 10, 2020,” Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute, July 10, 2020, https://www.criticalthreats.org/briefs/gulf-of-aden-security-review.
[7] “Seven militants killed in security operation in southern Somalia,” China Global Television Network, July 12, 2020, https://africa.cgtn.com/2020/07/12/seven-militants-killed-in-security-operation-in-southern-somalia/ ; and Matthew Eady and Zachary Jaynes, “Gulf of Aden Security Review – July 6, 2020,” Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute, July 6, 2020, https://www.criticalthreats.org/briefs/gulf-of-aden-security-review/gulf-of-aden-security-review-july-6-2020.
[8] “Senior al Shabaab finance officer killed in southern Somalia,” Garowe Online, July 12, 2020, https://www.garoweonline.com/en/news/somalia/senior-al-shabaab-finance-officer-killed-in-southern-somalia.
[9] Jerry Omondi, “Kenyan authorities arrest two suspects accused of plotting attack on airport,” China Global Television Network, July 12, 2020, https://africa.cgtn.com/2020/07/12/kenyan-authorities-arrest-two-suspects-accused-of-plotting-attack-on-airport/; and Matthew Eady and Zachary Jaynes, “Gulf of Aden Security Review – July 10, 2020,” Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute, July 10, 2020, https://www.criticalthreats.org/briefs/gulf-of-aden-security-review.
