Gulf of Aden Security Review

Yemen: Al Houthi spokesman reiterates threat to strike Abu Dhabi with ballistic missiles; AQAP attacks Emirati-backed forces in Abyan governorate, southern Yemen; gunmen assassinate Salafi imam in Aden city, southern Yemen; Transitional Political Council of the South establishes local offices in al Mahrah governorate, eastern Yemen; al Houthi-Saleh forces fire ballistic missile at military camp in Asir region, southern Saudi Arabia

Horn of Africa: Al Shabaab militants attack hotel in Mogadishu; Kenyan electoral commissioner declares President Uhuru Kenyatta re-run election winner

Yemen Security Brief

Al Houthi political party Ansar Allah spokesman Mohammed Abdul Salam reiterated the al Houthi movement’s threat to strike Abu Dhabi with ballistic missiles in an interview with Qatari news agency al Jazeera on October 29. Abdul Salam also stated that al Houthi-Saleh forces will increase cross-border attacks on Saudi Arabia. Abdul Salam added that the al Houthi movement is ready for political negotiations with all parties to the conflict. Local sources noted that this interview was Abdul Salam’s first with al Jazeera since the beginning of the conflict. Al Houthi movement leader Abdul Malik al Houthi threatened to attack Saudi Arabia and the UAE with ballistic missiles in a televised interview on September 14.^[1]

Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) militants targeted Emirati-backed al Hizam security forces with improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in Abyan governorate, southern Yemen. An AQAP militant detonated a suicide vehicle-borne IED (SVBIED) targeting al Hizam troops deploying to al Mahfad district in northeastern Abyan on October 29. Emirati-backed Shabwani Elite Forces met al Hizam forces in Mahfad town on October 29 to begin conducting counterterrorism raids and arrests. Al Hizam forces raided a suspected AQAP safe house in al Haq area, west of Mahfad town, on October 30. AQAP also detonated two IEDs targeting al Hizam forces in al Ayn area, Lawder district, northern Abyan on October 30.^[2]

Gunmen assassinated moderate Salafi imam Sheikh Adel al Shehri in Inma area, Aden city, southern Yemen on October 28. Gunmen assassinated two other Salafi imams on October 10 and October 18 in Aden city and attempted to assassinate another on October 22. Aden governor Abdul Aziz al Miflahi announced on October 22 that he would take measures to ensure security forces provide greater security for imams. Leadership from both the internationally recognized Yemeni government and the Southern Movement issued statements on October 29 calling on security forces to protect imams and mosques.^[3]

The president of the Emirati-backed Transitional Political Council of the South (STC), Aydarus al Zubaydi, stated that no southern region seeking liberation may bypass the STC. Zubaydi gave a speech to inaugurate the STC’s local leadership in al Ghaydah city, al Mahrah governorate, eastern Yemen on October 28. Local political leader Sultan al Muhri Abdullah bin Isa al Afar rejected the STC’s formation of an elite security force and called for the independence of both al Mahrah and Socotra, an island off the coast of Yemen. Zubaydi inaugurated STC leadership in three other governorates after announcing the formation of a National Assembly on October 14.^[4] 

Al Houthi-Saleh forces claimed to launch a Qaher-M2 ballistic missile targeting al Jarba military camp in Dhahran district, Asir region, southern Saudi Arabia on October 30. Al Houthi-Saleh forces launched a Qaher-M2 ballistic missile at a Saudi military target in Najran region, southwestern Saudi Arabia on October 27. Spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition Colonel Turki al Maliki announced that al Houthi-Saleh forces have fired 77 ballistic missiles at Saudi Arabian territory.^[5]

Horn of Africa Security Brief

Al Shabaab militants detonated two VBIEDs near the Naso-Hablod Two hotel and raided the hotel with small arms, killing over 23 civilians and several government officials in Mogadishu, Somalia on October 28. Five al Shabaab militants used National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) IDs to pass through security checkpoints. President Mohamed Farmajo fired NISA Director Abdillahi Mohamed Sanbaloolshe and Chief of Police Abdihakim Said in response to the attack. The Chief of the Somali National Army (SNA) and the Somali Minister of Defense also resigned on October 13. Al Shabaab militants detonated two VBIEDs in Mogadishu on October 14, killing over 300 civilians at the Safari hotel.^[6] 

The chairman of Kenya’s electoral commission certified the integrity of the October 26 re-run presidential election and stated that incumbent President Uhuru Kenyatta won with over 98% of the vote. The opposition party boycotted the vote and intimidated voters to reduce turnout in opposition strongholds. Kenyan police charged opposition officials with inciting election-related violence in Nairobi on October 30. Police arrested two members of opposition leader Raila Odinga’s inner circle for similar charges during protests against the election commission on October 23. Odinga called for another vote within 90 days because voting did not occur in every constituency as mandated by the Kenyan constitution.^[7]