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: AQAP reveals internal cabal; US drone strike reportedly kills top AQAP official in Ma’rib governorate
Horn of Africa: Al Shabaab appoints committee to oversee COVID-19 pandemic in its controlled territories; ISCA claims two attacks in northeastern Mozambique; ISCA claims two attacks in DRC; SNA claims killing al Shabaab militants in southern Somalia
Yemen Security Brief:
Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula’s (AQAP) media foundation, al Malahem, released a document and audio recording about a cabal within the group on May 11. The statements alleged that three AQAP militants challenged AQAP’s shari’a court and that two of the militants proposed surrendering AQAP’s Qayfa front in al Bayda governorate in central Yemen to forces aligned with the internationally recognized Yemeni government of Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi. AQAP released a statement about its internal espionage problem in late February.[1]
A US drone strike reportedly killed a high-ranking AQAP official in northern Yemen, according to a tweet by the SITE Intelligence Group’s director. A US drone strike killed Qasim al Raymi in Wadi Abidah in Ma’rib governorate in late January.[2]
Horn of Africa Security Brief:
Al Shabaab appointed a committee to monitor the COVID-19 pandemic within its controlled territories in Somalia on May 13. The committee members will oversee the health of community members within the controlled territories, providing them with guidance. Al Shabaab claimed that the coronavirus has not spread to its controlled territories. Somalia currently has over 1,200 confirmed COVID-19 cases.[3]
The Islamic State’s Central Africa Province (ISCA) claimed two attacks in northeastern Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado region on May 13. ISCA claimed that militants clashed with Mozambican troops in Auase on May 11, killing two soldiers and seizing an armored vehicle. ISCA also claimed that militants set fire to two Mozambican military posts and an unspecified number of Christian homes in Muidumbe on May 11. ISCA previously claimed attacking a Mozambican military post in Macomia in Cabo Delgado in early May.[4]
ISCA claimed two attacks in North Kivu region in east-central Democratic Republic of the Congo on May 13. ISCA claimed it kidnapped and executed three Congolese soldiers in Beni city in North Kivu. ISCA also claimed it attacked a crowd of Christians in Iringite near Beni city, killing 10 people. ISCA claimed killing two Congolese soldiers in Butembo in North Kivu in early February.[5]
The Somali National Army (SNA) claimed killing at least five al Shabaab militants during a raid in Qoryoley district in southern Somalia’s Lower Shabelle region. The SNA claimed it killed six al Shabaab militants in Qoryoley on May 6.[6]
[1] “AQAP Exposes Cabal within Group of Individuals Challenging its Shariah Court, Proposing to Turn Over Fighting Front,” SITE Intelligence Group, May 13, 2020, available by subscription at www.siteintelgroup.com; “In Latest Video on Deterring Espionage, AQAP Focuses on Psychological Torment and Family Disgrace,” SITE Intelligence Group, February 25, 2020, available by subscription at www.siteintelgroup.com.
[2] Rita Katz, Twitter, May 13, 2020, https://twitter.com/Rita_Katz/status/1260704314374447104; and Samuel Bloebaum and Pamela Makadsi, “Gulf of Aden Security Review – February 7, 2020,” Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute, February 7, 2020, https://www.criticalthreats.org/briefs/gulf-of-aden-security-review/gulf-of-aden-security-review-february-7-2020.
[3] “Shabaab Appoints Committee to Monitor COVID-19 Pandemic in its Controlled Territories,” SITE Intelligence Group, May 13, 2020, available by subscription at www.siteintelgroup.com; and “World/Countries/Somalia,” Worldometer, May 14, 2020, https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/somalia/.
[4] “ISCAP Claims Killing 2 Mozambican Soldiers and Documents Result of Clash with Photos, Burning Christian Homes,” SITE Intelligence Group, May 13, 2020, available by subscription at www.siteintelgroup.com; and Muhammed Ramadhito and Kalissa Azooz, “Gulf of Aden Security Review – May 6, 2020,” Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute, May 6, 2020, https://www.criticalthreats.org/briefs/gulf-of-aden-security-review/gulf-of-aden-security-review-may-6-2020.
[5] “ISCAP Claims Killing 10 Christians, Executing 3 Soldiers in Separate Incidents in DRC,” SITE Intelligence Group, May 14, 2020, available by subscription at www.siteintelgroup.com; and “ISCAP Claims Killing 2 Congolese Soldiers in Butembo,” SITE Intelligence Group, February 5, 2020, available by subscription at www.siteintelgroup.com.
[6] “Somali National Army kills 5 Al-Shabab in lower Shabelle region,” Goobjoog, May 14, 2020, http://goobjoog.com/english/somali-national-army-kills-5-al-shabab-in-lower-shabelle-region/; and Kalissa Azooz and Muhammad Ramadhito, “Gulf of Aden Security Review – May 12, 2020,” Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute, May 12, 2020, https://www.criticalthreats.org/briefs/gulf-of-aden-security-review/gulf-of-aden-security-review-may-12-2020.
