A detailed report reviewing security developments in Yemen in April, 2014.

1. YEMEN
T H R E A T A S S E S S M E N T 5 APRIL to 25 APRIL, 2014
Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula fighters gather to celebrate freed prisoners in this March 2014
video recently released on Islamist websites. The rally, held at an undisclosed location, is believed
to be one of the largest gatherings of the terrorist group’s leadership and fighters in its history.

2. SECURITY SITUATION
OVERVIEW
Security Threat Assessment
Suspected US drone strikes in Abyan and Shabwa led to over a hundred casualties in mid-April as both governments aggressively targeted AQAP. This campaign came shortly after a video
showing top AQAP leaders meeting with hundreds of supporters and militants in Yemen sometime during March. The video demonstrates the level of support and resources AQAP
enjoys in Yemen. Meanwhile, targeted killings and assassination attempts characterized Sana’a and much of the rest of Yemen during this reporting period. Attacks throughout the
southeastern portion of the country are a continued demonstration of the challenges facing Hadramout as both terrorist elements and tribal unrest threaten to further de-stabilize a
region once known for its merchant and business class. Violence in the governorate remains centred around Mukalla, Seiyun and the nearby gas/oil installations. Houthis caused some
disruption in Amran; however, the they remained largely silent over the pas three weeks as they held conversations with government leaders. The threat is increasing in Sana’a to
internationals as attacks in recent weeks near public areas, such as on the airport road, increasingly threaten bystander safety.
This report assesses issues that have arisen from April 5-25, 2014. For a detailed record of security incidents occurring in Yemen, subscribers should refer to SicuroIMS Incident Mapping
Platform.
Police arrested three AQAP
suspects in downtown
Sana’a during a house raid
on April 11.
YEMEN
A high-ranking CID officer
was kidnapped on April 12
off a main street in Tarim
as he returned home.
A US drone strike on a
suspected AQAP training
centre killed at least 30 people
on April 20 in Mahfd, Abyan.
Five soldiers died in an
April 8 assault on a military
outpost in Burum by
suspected AQAP militants.
Fighting spiked between
smugglers and border
guards in April near Jizan-
Hajja and Asir-Sa’adah.
Houthi militants attacked a
security checkpoint at the
Western entrance of
Amran on April 9.
A Russian oil worker
evaded a kidnapping
attempt on April 24 in the
Hadda district of Sana’a.
On April 5, Unidentified
assailants kidnapped an
intelligence officer, as he
left a hotel in Taiz City.

3. SECURITY SITUATION
REGIONAL OVERVIEW
YEMEN
SABA REGION Trend:
• A major drone strike in Baiyda killed over a dozen and wounded
several civilians. This attack was part of a larger campaign during
April 19 weekend by the US and Yemeni military against AQAP.
• An Uzbek doctor in Mareb was briefly kidnapped from a hospital in
the city. His quick release (about 10 days) did not provide any
indication of the kidnappers’ motive.
• Attacks on power lines dropped significantly this reporting period.
AZAL REGION Trend:
• Assassinations spiked in Sana’a this period, particularly near the
airport. Similar to previous attacks, gunmen on motorcycles
launched most of the attacks, some who were dressed in military
uniforms. Most targets have been military or police officials.
• The attempted kidnapping of the oil expert in Sana’a is at least the
third incident where Russian speakers have been targeted in the
last year.
ADEN REGION Trend:
• Drone and airstrikes in Abyan led to the death of at least 60
suspected AQAP militants over the April 19-20 weekend. This is
one of the largest campaigns launched by the US government and
Yemeni military. Yemeni and US officials are waiting on DNA
comparisons from the bodies to determine which, if any, senior
AQAP leaders might have been killed in the strikes.
HADRAMOUT REGION Trend:
• Frequent attacks against military checkpoints in Hadramout
occurred this period. Most analysts attribute the attacks to the
growing AQAP presence.
• In addition to AQAP’s presence, the tribal federation is currently
battling the government for greater regional autonomy,
particularly regarding security issues. This has also led to targeting
of oil facilities.
TEHAMA REGION Trend:
• Clashes in the border region between Hajja and Jizan illustrate the problematic history between
Saudi Arabian and Yemen trying to manage the 1,800 kilometre border. The cross-border
movement of illegals and the prevalence of smugglers has soured and already weak relationship
between the two countries as Saudi Arabia blames Yemen for their inability to stop trafficking and
the movement of terrorists due to inadequate border protections.
JANAD REGION Trend:
• A kidnapping attempt in Taiz of an intelligence officer and a skirmish between Houthis and tribal
fighters in Ibb represent little change in the southwestern region. Taiz has had issues over the past
year with kidnapping of a few local officials; however, the tribesmen responsible used the
incidents as a means of negotiation with the government or another tribe over a specific issue.

4. SECURITY SITUATION
SECURITY SITUATION BY INCIDENT
YEMEN
Incidents from April 5 – 25, 2014
1
2
3
4
5
Notes
1. The number of IED attacks in Yemen on a weekly
basis is significant and many are located in areas
such as Sana’a and Aden. They can be deadly and
have caused injuries; however, they are often used
by militants in assassination attempts targeting
specific Yemeni officials. The threat of an IED
attack to non-Yemeni military officials is low. Some
have been found around the major cities; however,
the are poorly constructed and often quickly
dismantled by security forces. The threat from an
IED attack is “wrong place, wrong time”.
1. Armed clashes between Houthis and Islah-
supported tribesmen continues throughout the
western part of the country, particularly Sana’a.
Clashes between government forces and tribesmen
in Hadramout are also growing.
1. Kidnapping remains the primary threat to expats
living in Yemen. They are used by tribes as a source
of revenue as past hostages have commanded huge
ransoms. This cottage industry is wrecking havoc in
Sana’a as internationals are regularly targeted
while entering and exiting buildings.
1. Targeting killings have been a problem over the last
year as spoilers try to disrupt the transition process
through devastating the security sector and
military. While AQAP is often blamed, former
regime figures are also suspected to be behind
many of the attacks.
1. Drone strikes picked up this weekend, but
predominately in Shabwa, Abyan and Baiyda.

5. SECURITY SITUATION
TEHAMA REGION (HODEIDAH, HAJJA, MAHWET AND RAYMA)
YEMEN
Saudi border guards came under fire on April 14 near the Jizan
province’s border with Yemen. Smuggling along the 1,8000 mile
border between Saudi Arabia and Yemen is a major security
challenge for both countries. Following the fighting with
smugglers, the border guards also arrested a woman and two
children along with the two smugglers as they tried to cross into
Yemen. This followed similar clashes earlier in the week when
two border guards were killed by smugglers in the Asir province.
Houthi militants injured four students at a Quaran school in
Mahwet on April 15. The militants arrived in a 12-vehicle convoy
on Wednesday and broke into the school with light weapons.
JANAD REGION (TAIZ AND IBB)
On April 5, Unidentified assailants
kidnapped Lieutenant Zayed Nasser,
an intelligence officer, as he left a
hotel in downtown Taiz. The
kidnappers also stabbed Lt. Nasser
during the successful attempt.
Houthi fighters and Sherari
tribesmen clashed in the Alamo area
of Ibb on April 15.

6. SECURITY SITUATION
AZAL REGION (SAADA, AMRAN, SANA’A AND DHAMAR)
YEMEN
Police arrested three AQAP suspects in downtown
Sana’a during a house raid on April 11. The leaders of
the three suspects is believed to be a key recruiter for
the terrorist network having sent dozens of Yemeni
youth to the southeastern provinces where AQAP
maintains its camps.
Gunmen riding a motorcycle killed another police officer on
April 11 in Sana’a along the airport thoroughfare. The
police officer is believed to have been stationed at the Bani
Hawat precinct.
On April 9, Houthi militants attacked a security checkpoint
near the western entrance to Amran. Prior to the assault,
the Houthis hijacked two military vehicles. At least seven
Houthi fighters, including Abu Yosef Al-Dalhi, died in the
attack. Despite the casualties, the Houthis gained control
of the checkpoint.
Gunmen attacked Ismail al-Wazir the chair of the Al-Haq Party’s
Shura Council, while he drove by Sana’aa University Square on
April 7. Gunmen killed his two guards and wounded al-Qazir.
Najeeb Ali Al-Qayeel, a teacher, and his two children were
kidnapped on April 7 by bandits from the Al Khawlan
district. The motivations behind the kidnapping are
unknown.
Colonel Abdullah Mofadhl and his son were injured
in a roadside bomb attack on April 6 while passing
the Higher Institute for the Judiciary. The failed
assassination attempt led nearby gunmen to open
fire on the car.
On April 24, a Russian oil sector expert evaded a kidnapping
attempt in the Hadda district of Sana’a, an upscale area of the
capital home to many internationals. The Russian fought off his
attackers outside a barber shop killing two of his assailants with a
pistol he had on his person.
Brigadier General Abdarrab al-Shadadi, commander of the
312th Armoured Brigade, survived an assassination attempt
on April 24 in the Hezyez district of Sana’a. Two of the
commander’s escorts died and another two wounded from
the gunmen’s fire.
Gunmen on a motorcycle shot and killed Colonel Abdul
Razak al-Jabali on April 22 as he walked along the airport
road. This is the second killing near the airport road in the
last ten days.
In the al-Geraf area of downtown Sana’a on April 21
gunmen fired on the vehicle of Colonel Mohammed Al-
Najdi and Major Mohammed Oraij, two intelligence
officers. Both died in the attack.

7. SECURITY SITUATION
ADEN REGION (LAHJ, DHALAE, ADEN AND ABYAN)
YEMEN
In connection with the AQAP attack on the Fourth Brigade
headquarters in Aden, police raided a house in the city on
April 11, nine days after the attack. Police discovered
bomb making materials and explosives in the house.
They arrested the occupants of the house for suspected
involvement with the April 2 attack.
On April 20, a US drone strike hit a suspected AQAP
training centre in Mahfd, Abyan killing at least thirty
militants and wounding at least three others. Two of the
dead are reportedly AQAP commanders. On the same day
and in a nearby area, helicopter gunships from the Yemeni
military attacked suspected terrorist targets, particularly in
the Azzan region of nearby Shabwa.
A roadside IED exploded on April 9
killing two soldiers along the main
road in Lawdar, Abyan. The attack
bears the hallmarks of AQAP.
Protesters in Abyan demanded on
April 6 that the provincial governor
immediately release reconstruction
funds and then resign or face
widespread civil disobedience.
Gunmen shot and killed
Mohamed Saleh Naji, a
CID officer in Lahj, on
April 13 as he headed
home.
Security forces clashed with local
residents in the Crater area of Aden
on April 22 leading to the death of
one person.
A bomb exploded on April 22 killing four
people inside a restaurant near Zinjibar, Abyan.

8. SECURITY SITUATION
SHEBA REGION (JAWF, MAREB AND BAIYDA)
YEMEN
Gunmen in the Al-Haikle area of Baiyda attacked security forces
patrolling in the area belonging to to the 26th Brigade. One
soldier died and six others were wounded in the attack.
Gunmen kidnapped an Uzbek doctor from a hospital in Mareb on
April 13. Security forces quickly sealed off the area in an attempt
to prevent the kidnappers from leaving the city. Mediators
secured the release of the doctor the following Saturday (April
19). It is unclear whether the government paid a ransom;
however, this type of kidnapping is common in Yemen. Tribes
often kidnap people as a means of negotiation with the
government over a specific issue.
Gunmen shot and killed Hussain Dayan, the deputy governor of
Baiyda, on April 15 outside his home in the provincial capital.
Al Fuqaiman tribesmen in Jawf kidnapped four Central Bank
employees on April 17 in an attempt to leverage local authorities
over a resolution to a local dispute.
A suspected US drone strike hit a convoy in the Hazmiah area of
Baiydah on April 19. The drone missile hit a convoy carrying
sixteen suspected militants. At least five civilians in nearby
vehicles died as a result of the drone strike.

9. SECURITY SITUATION
HADRAMOUT REGION (HADRAMOUT, SHABWAAND MAHRA)
YEMEN
Armed clashes between suspected AQAP militants
and soldiers at a military checkpoint in Burum on
April 8 led to the death of at least five soldiers and
the kidnapping of several more. Similar to other
checkpoint attacks in the region over the past few
months, the assailants used RPGs to attack the
checkpoint in the dawn raid. Reports suggest the
commander of the checkpoint died in the attack.
An IED attack on April 15 in Seiyun, Hadramout reportedly injured one soldier and several
militants. Near the Dor Huta area of Seiyun, the IED exploded when a military convoy
carrying Colonel Khalid Al-Ansi passed through the area. Heavy clashes followed the
apparent assassination attempt; however, the colonel escaped unharmed.
Suspected AQAP gunmen
raided a security outpost in
Shibam on April 24.
Sources indicate that the
attackers fired RGPs at the
police checkpoint. Two
police officers died in the
raid.
AQAP militants seized a hospital in Azzan, Shabwa on April
20 following numerous airstrikes in the area. The militants
reportedly arrived at the hospital with doctors to treat the
wounded from the weekend’s airstrikes, which let to an
estimated death toll of some 70 people.
Suspected AQAP militants and the Yemen military clashed near
the al-Dees area of Mukalla on April 21. One soldier died and
several wounded. This comes as residents protest against the
arrest of a local young man, who is being charged with
conspiring with AQAP.
One soldier died when suspected AQAP militants attacked a
military checkpoint east of Ash Shihr on April 16.
A drone strike in the Usylan
area of Shabwa killed at least
four militants on April 20.
Some sources are suggesting
that AQAP’s chief bomb maker,
Ibrahim al-Asiri, died in the
strike.

10. CONCLUSION
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
YEMEN
The video of AQAP leaders in Yemen posted on a Islamist website caught many intelligence services off-guard as the gathering documented in the footage
represents perhaps one of the largest meetings of the organization in several years. Dated in March, the video offers a rare glimpse into the terrorist
organization’s reach and depth in Yemen. The Yemeni and US governments’ unrelenting air strikes followed by a weekend of multiple drone strikes in the south-
central part of Yemen is a direct effect of the video’s publication. As a result of the mass casualties caused by the drone strikes, AQAP launched numerous
assaults and kidnapping attempts across the country further illustrating its reach and operational capability. While reports are swirling about what leaders might
have been killed in the drone strikes, it is apparent that the Yemeni military landed helicopters in several target areas following the attack to collect suspected
leaders’ bodies. Currently, the government—likely with US assistance—is conducting DNA tests to verify the identity. AQAP’s chief bomb maker, suspected to
have died in one of the attacks, would be considered a big prize by terrorism analysts.
The severe fuel and petrol shortage throughout Yemen, particularly Sana’a, is much worse than in November 2013 when similar conditions limited supplies.
Almost daily, lines are reported around the block and sources have witnessed fighting at petrol stations over the limited quantities that are available. As the
springtime approaches, fuel will be in greater demand causing greater shocks to market prices. In order to ensure adequate supplies of fuel, particularly to
maintain diesel levels for generators and petrol levels for cars, organizations and individuals should begin stockpiling fuel and seeking out alternative sources.
Cars should maintain full tanks as much as possible for security reasons.
The foiled kidnapping of the Russian oil company employee by no less than himself is an interesting case because it is at least the third instance of a Russian
speaker being targeted for kidnapping in the last year. Not long before this incident, the brief captivity of the Uzbek doctor without an apparent motive
represented a second incident. This follows the assassination of two Belarusians military advisors in November 26 who were leaving their hotel in downtown
Sana’a. An additional two Eastern Europeans (a Ukrainian and a Bulgarian) were involved in kidnapping attempts in 2013. In most instances, the
attempts/successes occurred during the day outside popular areas, grocery stores, hotels and restaurants. Clearly, these incidents were avoidable and
preventable, but it raises the point that Eastern Europeans/Russian speakers are being targeted as frequently, if not more, than Westerners. Kidnappings remain
the number one threat to individuals in Sana’a and precautions should be taken at all times.
Labour Day is approaching on May 1, 2014, which is a national holiday and most institutions will be closed. Labour Day is not considered a significant holiday in
the country, but it is considered a official holiday. Organizations should be preparing for the upcoming Unity Day on May 22, which is another holiday and
usually involves large rallies/protests throughout the country. Further, Ramadan will begin at the end of June and internationals should strongly consider making
plans to leave Yemen during this period. Last Ramadan saw significant violence and criminality throughout the country. Kidnapping attempts and suspicious
vehicles throughout Sana’a spiked during this period in 2013.

11. YEMEN
5 APRIL– 25 APRIL, 2014T H R E A T A S S E S S M E N T
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