Ansar-Allah (Houthis) in Yemen and Somalia’s Al-Shabaab have issued open threats against Israel, warning that any Israeli presence in the Somaliland region will be treated as a military target.
The statements came days after Israel announced it was officially recognizing Somaliland as an independent state, a move that has triggered sharp reactions across the region.
Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi said on December 28 that Israel’s recognition of Somaliland amounted to “a hostile stance” and “naked aggression” against the sovereignty of Somalia and Yemen.
He warned that any Israeli footprint on Somaliland soil would be considered a legitimate target for Houthi forces.
According to him the move also poses “a direct threat to the security of the Red Sea and the Horn of Africa.”
Militant groups issue direct warnings
Somalia’s Al-Qaeda-linked group Al‑Shabaab also vowed armed resistance.
“We will not accept it, and we will fight against it,” the group said in a statement. Its spokesman Ali Dheere claimed Israel’s decision showed it had “decided to expand into parts of the Somali territories” to support what he called “the apostate administration in the northwest regions.”
Israel said on Friday it was formally recognizing Somaliland, a self-declared republic that split from Somalia in 1991. The territory sits along one of the world’s busiest maritime corridors linking the Indian Ocean with the Suez Canal.
Regional and international condemnation
Mogadishu immediately denounced Israel’s move as a “deliberate attack” on Somalia’s sovereignty.
Pakistan, Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and more than 20 other countries and blocs, including Egypt, Türkiye, the Gulf Cooperation Council and Saudi Arabia condemned the recognition.
Analysts believe Israel seeks strategic access to the Red Sea through closer ties with Somaliland.
Past media reports even suggested Somaliland could host Palestinians expelled by Israel, though both sides have remained silent.
One Somali voice summed up the anger, calling it “humiliation of the highest level” to see celebrations over recognition by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying Israel is “the biggest enemy of the Islamic society.”
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