Houthis in Yemen and Al-Shabab militants in Somalia established strengthening covert partnership entailing the exchange of weapons, training, and coordinating operations, a report published by Wall Street Journal cited. Al-Shabab militants received modernized weapons, training on manned aerial vehicles-drones as well as explosive devices, the report further stated. Meanwhile, the Houthis reportedly sought technical support that would enable them to install radars to monitor ship movements in waters between Yemen and Somalia.’
A senior Al-Shabab leader identified as Mr. Jibril Yahye Ali, played a significant role in the facilitation of the establishment of the close partnership between Houthis in Yemen-an Iranian-backed armed and political movement that controls northwestern Yemen, including the capital Sana’a.
An Al-Shabab leader named Mr. Jibril was successfully eliminated in a U.S. airstrike that took place in February of this year. The newspaper report further disclosed that the Al-Shabab leader who facilitated the close nexus between Al-Shabab and Houthis in Yemen used to secretly travel between Somalia and Yemen. At the same time, he used to receive facilities such as a house and a forged Yemeni passport.
In 2024, Al-Shabab militants dispatched a representative named Mr. Ahmed Elmi Samatar to Yemen. He reportedly submitted a list of weapons and military equipment; the list included anti-aircraft missiles, Katyusha rockets, long-range rifles, attack drones, and night vision equipment. The newspaper reported that smuggling networks are using front companies and ports in Yemen to transport weapons across the Gulf of Aden to coastal areas in northern Somalia, before transferring them to Al-Shabab militants in the South of the country.
