Riyadh (South24 Center)

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On Thursday, October 30, Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) convened to discuss plans for completing the integration of intelligence agencies under the newly established “Central State Security Apparatus,” created by presidential decree in 2024. The initiative is part of broader efforts to enhance security coordination and unify counterterrorism and organized crime operations.

According to the official Yemeni News Agency (SABA), the meeting—attended by Prime Minister Salem bin Brik—focused on recent security developments and the performance of agencies tasked with combating terrorism, its financing, and drug trafficking.

The PLC commended what it described as “qualitative achievements” by the armed forces and security units, supported by regional and international partners, in pursuing extremist cells affiliated with the Iran-backed Houthi militia.

The Council reaffirmed the state’s commitment to continuing counterterrorism efforts “in all its forms” and strengthening cooperation with regional allies to build security capabilities.

It also welcomed recent operations conducted by the Combined Task Force led by the Royal Saudi Navy in the Red Sea, which successfully thwarted attempts to smuggle weapons and narcotics.

The PLC emphasized that Red Sea security constitutes a “pillar of regional and international stability,” warning that Houthi maritime activities pose a “direct threat” to global trade and economic interests.

The Council expressed support for implementation plans related to merging security and intelligence bodies, aiming to unify information gathering and analysis processes and establish a professional national intelligence institution.

On January 4, 2024, the Chairman of the PLC issued Decree No. (5), establishing the Central State Security Apparatus. The decree stipulated the merger of the Political Security Organization, the National Security Agency, and other intelligence entities affiliated with the Southern Transitional Council (STC), the Republican Guards, and the Giants Brigades into a single intelligence body headquartered in the capital, Aden.