By Faisal Abu Bakr | 2024-11-22

ADEN -- The burgeoning partnership between the Houthis and al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and its Somalia-based affiliate al-Shabaab poses a heightened risk to Yemen, the region and world, Yemeni officials caution.

Their warning comes as recent United Nations (UN) panel of experts on Yemen and Soufan Center reports suggest the Houthis are seeking to expand their regional reach via operational links to "major terrorist groups."

Through their collusion with AQAP and al-Shabaab, the Houthis seek to expand "in and around Yemen, the Arabian Peninsula, the Red Sea and the Horn of Africa," the Soufan Center said in report published November 5.

The UN report corroborates an earlier US claim that the Houthis are providing weapons to al-Shabaab.

Increased weapons smuggling activities have been observed between the Houthis and al-Shabaab, it said, "with indications of shared military supplies or a common supplier."

The report also suggests the Houthis are "evaluating the available options to carry out attacks at sea from the Somali coast."

"Coordinated attacks between the Houthis and al-Shabaab against ships in the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea could compound the Houthi threat to Red Sea shipping," the Soufan Center warned.

The Houthis also provide AQAP with "armed drones, thermal rockets and reconnaissance equipment," per the UN report.

"On the ground, local residents say the two groups no longer engage in skirmishes with each other, a clear sign they are working together," the Soufan Center said.

Coordinated attacks

The Houthis "are now using al-Qaeda to terrorize the international community," said Yemen's Deputy Minister of Justice Faisal al-Majeedi told Al-Fassel, noting that the relationship between the two groups is no longer in question.

The Houthis previously supported al-Qaeda "with drones and missiles and released the group's prisoners from prisons, and they will now provide al-Qaeda with missiles and drones to carry out attacks in the Red Sea," he said.

The two groups attack each other's opponents in turn, he said.

The Houthis have tasked al-Qaeda with carrying out attacks against Yemeni forces in areas under government control and in al-Bayda, he added, suggesting this cooperation is likely to extend to the Red Sea.

The Houthis have intensified their meetings with al-Qaeda leaders, who also are under the control of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) officers operating from Sanaa, political analyst Faisal Ahmed told Al-Fassel.

Their goal is to coordinate attacks in the Red Sea, he said.

"What Iran wants is in line with what the Houthis seek to do, namely to use al-Qaeda in the Red Sea attacks with the aim of shuffling the cards," he added.