— Houthi–al-Shabaab cooperation deepens with weapons, training, and maritime surveillance plans
Since 2023, a network of intermediaries and smugglers has operated between the two groups, allowing al-Shabaab to acquire weapons and receive training from the Houthis in Yemen. Weapons sought include shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles, 107mm rockets, attack drones, anti-tank missiles, and night vision equipment. An estimated 100 al-Shabaab members have reportedly undergone training in Houthi-controlled areas; a Houthi delegation visited Somalia this year to coordinate further. The groups are considering creating a maritime surveillance capability from the African side of the Gulf of Aden, using radar and monitoring equipment to track ship movements. Coordination also covers possibly disrupting Israeli activity in the Horn of Africa, amid Houthi concerns over Israeli presence there. The main intermediary, a Somali citizen, was killed in a U.S. airstrike in February, but al-Shabaab has appointed a replacement and the connection continues.@TPOnow
