Somali terrorist operatives are infiltrating into Yemen: Sources

The Yemeni coasts are witnessing a dangerous development with the detection of an intensive movement of Al-Qaeda operatives coming from Somalia. Elements associated with the Somali Al-Shabaab Movement have started infiltrating into Yemen through the provinces of Shabwah, Hadramout, and Abyan, putting the liberated Yemeni provinces in face of a new security threat, according to informed security sources.

These operatives are distributed along two main paths; one heading towards the rugged mountainous areas in Abyan and Shabwa, where the terrain facilitates the execution of organizational operations away from the eyes of government forces. As for the second path, it targets the capital Sanaa, amidst reports of coordination with the Houthi group, which is believed to facilitate the arrival of these operatives to its controlled areas. The sources told Yemen Details.

This comes as part of an undisclosed cooperation between the Houthis and the Al-Shabaab Movement in Somalia, with the aim of carrying out joint agendas that include operations against government forces in liberated provinces. The next phase may also witness armament arrangements or other coordination efforts that serve the common interests of both parties.

Activists have called for an investigation into reports linking the Houthis to Al-Qaeda, considering it a blatant violation of regional and international security.

This threat poses unprecedented security challenges for Yemen and the region, necessitating a comprehensive and intensive response to contain the crisis before it degenerates.