Aircraft assigned to Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 1 launch from the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) during flight operations in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility. (Photo: CENTCOM)
US Airstrikes Hit Houthis as Yemeni Government Plans Major Offensive to Retake Port City
Suspected U.S. airstrikes in Yemen’s rebel-held capitol killed at least seven people and injured 29 others overnight, Houthi officials said on Monday. In addition to the casualties, Houthi officials claimed to have shot down a U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drone on Sunday over Hajjah governorate, near the Saudi border. (Read More)
France Launches Probe After Coordinated Attacks on Prisons Linked to Anti-Drug Crackdown
France’s national anti-terrorism prosecutor has opened an investigation into a wave of apparently coordinated attacks on prisons across the country, which government officials say are linked to an ongoing crackdown on drug trafficking networks. On Monday night, gunmen armed with automatic weapons fired on the entrance of Toulon’s La Farlede prison in southern France, while vehicles were set ablaze outside at least six other correctional facilities. (Read More)
US Allegedly Plans Syria Withdrawal, Raising Concerns Over Turkish Expansion
The United States has informed Israel that it will begin a phased withdrawal of its forces from Syria within two months, Israeli outlet Ynet reported Tuesday. According to the report, Israeli officials were briefed on the timeline earlier this week. Despite efforts by Jerusalem to persuade Washington to maintain its troop presence, a senior Israeli official told Ynet that those attempts were unsuccessful, though discussions continue in hopes of modifying or delaying the decision. (Read More)
Army Accelerates Abrams Tank Modernization, Targets New Variant in 30 Months
The U.S. Army has significantly shortened the timeline for fielding its next-generation main battle tank, the M1E3 Abrams, aiming to deliver a prototype within 24 to 30 months. The decision follows orders from Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George to bypass conventional acquisition protocols in favor of faster development, Army Chief Technology Officer Dr. Alex Miller told Defense News. (Read More)
China Accuses NSA of Cyberattacks During Asian Winter Games, Names Three Alleged US Operatives
Chinese authorities on Tuesday accused the U.S. National Security Agency of cyberattacks targeting digital infrastructure linked to February’s Asian Winter Games, issuing arrest warrants for three alleged operatives. The Harbin Public Security Bureau named Katheryn A. Wilson, Robert J. Snelling, and Stephen W. Johnson, claiming they worked under the NSA’s Office of Tailored Access Operations. (Read More)
US Deploys Second Aircraft Carrier to Mideast Ahead of Iran Nuclear Talks
The United States has deployed a second aircraft carrier to Middle Eastern waters as nuclear talks with Iran continue, according to satellite imagery analyzed Tuesday by the Associated Press. The USS Carl Vinson and its strike group arrived in the Arabian Sea earlier this week to join the USS Harry S. Truman, which has led airstrikes against Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen since March 15. (Read More)
Ant Smugglers Arrested in Kenya as Government Warns of Changing Trafficking Trends | AP
Two Belgian teenagers were charged in Nairobi with wildlife piracy after being caught with 5,000 ants in test tubes, part of a growing trend in trafficking lesser-known species. Kenyan authorities say the ants, including the native messor cephalotes, were destined for markets in Europe and Asia. Officials warn the shift from trafficking large mammals to smaller species threatens biodiversity and local ecological benefits. (Read More)
Hamas Armed Wing Says It Lost Contact With Group Holding Israeli-US Hostage Alexander | Reuters
The armed wing of Hamas claimed Tuesday that it has lost contact with the militants holding American-Israeli soldier Edan Alexander, citing an Israeli airstrike that allegedly hit the location where he was being held. Alexander, 21, was captured on October 7 during the Hamas-led assault on southern Israel and is believed to be the last living U.S. citizen held captive in Gaza. (Read More)
Veterans of Israel’s Shayetet 13 Join Public Calls to End Gaza War for Hostage Release
Dozens of Israeli military veterans, reservists, and former intelligence leaders have publicly urged the government to end the war in Gaza in order to secure the release of remaining hostages. In a statement reported by Haaretz, 254 veterans and reservists from Israel’s elite naval commando unit, Shayetet 13, signed a letter calling for an immediate ceasefire. (Read More)
Alert Line NSTR. Sam Havelock CEO, SOFX Are you a first time reader? Subscribe. Rescuers work at the site of a damaged building after a missile strike. (Vitaliy Holovin / Shutterstock.com) Armed Conflict Open-Source Reporting on Global Conflict Trump Urges Putin to Halt Strikes After Deadly Attack on Kyiv, Reportedly Involving North Korean Missile U.S. President Donald Trump has called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to halt attacks on Ukraine, following a deadly missile strike on Kyiv...
Alert Line NSTR. Sam Havelock CEO, SOFX Are you a first time reader? Subscribe. Screenshot of footage from a soldier of the Donetsk police rifle battalion in the Toretsk region. (Telegram / Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine) Armed Conflict Open-Source Reporting on Global Conflict Video Shows Ukrainian Soldiers Eliminating Russian Soldiers at Close Range in Donetsk Region Footage circulating on social media shows a Ukrainian battalion ambushing and killing three Russian soldiers in...
Alert Line NSTR. Sam Havelock CEO, SOFX Are you a first time reader? Subscribe. Indian Security forces in the Kashmir region (Tawseef Nazir / Shutterstock.com) Armed Conflict Open-Source Reporting on Global Conflict Explosions Rock Major Russian Ammunition Depot in the Vladimir Region A series of explosions occurred at a major Russian military ammunition depot in the Vladimir region, northeast of Moscow on Tuesday. The facility, known as the 51st Arsenal of the Main Missile and Artillery...