A U.S. missile strike in Yemen killed a key operative who served as the primary link between the Iranian-backed Houthis and the Somali terror group Al-Shabaab, as the two organizations worked to expand military cooperation despite their longstanding sectarian differences.

Jibril Yahya Ali, a 38-year-old Somali national, was killed in February while traveling along Yemen’s coast with his new wife. According to the Wall Street Journal, a U.S. missile struck his Toyota Corolla moments after his wife stepped out of the vehicle to answer a phone call. She survived the strike.

The relationship between the Houthis and Al-Shabaab reportedly began developing around 2023. Cash-rich Al-Shabaab gained access to advanced weapons and training from the Houthis, while the Houthis gained access to financing and a strategic foothold south of the Gulf of Aden.

Al-Shabaab terrorists have traveled to Yemen for training in drone operations and bomb-making, while Houthi delegations have traveled to Somalia to coordinate activities, including preparations surrounding the possibility of Israel establishing a base in Somaliland.

U.S. officials warn that the partnership could have global consequences by giving Al-Shabaab access to more sophisticated weapons, including attack drones, while expanding the Houthis’ ability to threaten international shipping and Western interests in the region. Despite Ali’s elimination and U.S. efforts to intercept weapons shipments at sea, the two terror groups are reportedly continuing to deepen their cooperation.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)