Catch up with summaries from an average of 50 new geopolitical events daily. Subscribe to better understand geopolitical risks.
Cedric: Welcome to the Geopolitical
Report Daily for December 26, 2024.
Complete reports with casualty
information, interactive web maps, and
our IntelHub dashboard are available with
a Geopolitical Report Pro subscription.
Christmas was a busy day around
the world, and we mapped 63
incidents, so let's get started.
Terrorism Events
"Afghanistan
Tuesday evening, unidentified gunmen
attacked a vehicle belonging to the
Indian Consulate in the city of Jalalabad,
killing the Afghan national driver
of the car and wounding another Afgan
employee who worked as a translator."
"India
Tuesday night, police wounded two
wanted gangsters during a clash
in Tarn Taran, Punjab Province.
Police arrested the two individuals along
with another person after the encounter."
"India
Tuesday night, Special Task Force (STF)
police arrested two terrorist sleeper
cell members during an operation in the
Namapara area of the Kokrajhar District.
Police recovered a huge cache of arms
and ammunition during the arrests."
"Israel
A drone launched from Yemen struck
an open area near Ashkelon, but there
were no injuries or major damage.
Sirens had sounded in Ashkelon
and nearby communities."
"Israel
After a missile fired by Yemen's Houthis
was intercepted, large fragments were
found in central Israel, including
a piece over a meter in length in
the yard of a home in Be'er Yaakov.
Police reported fragments falling
in at least three locations.
This is the second consecutive night
of ballistic missile attacks by the
Iran-backed group on central Israel."
"Niger
On Monday, suspected Lukarawa
terrorists attacked a police post in
the vicinity of Yelou, Dosso region,
killing three police officers."
"Nigeria
On Wednesday, gunmen attacked a commercial
vehicle and abducted seven travelers in
the Sabon Borno area of Sokoto State."
"Nigeria
On Tuesday, police operatives
killed three suspected kidnappers
and arrested two others during an
operation in Orogwe, Owerri West Local
Government Area (LGA), Imo State.
Police recovered six AK-47
rifles, a locally made gun, and
ammunition after the encounter."
"Nigeria
Tuesday afternoon, a suspected Boko
Haram drone attack on a Nigerian
Forward Operating Base in Wajiroko,
Damboa Local Government Area (LGA)
wounded at least six soldiers."
"Nigeria
On Tuesday, terrorists attacked a
commercial vehicle at Kwanar Makera
along the Katsina to Magama Jibia road
in the Jibia Local Government area of
Katsina State, abducting ten people.
Police dispatched to the scene and engaged
the terrorists foiling the abduction.
However, during the clash, four
hostages sustained gunshot wounds, and
two of them later died at a hospital.
Police are searching for the
assailants after they fled the area."
"Pakistan
On Wednesday, a remote-controlled
IED blast struck a vehicle traveling
in the Dasht area of the Turbat
district, killing at least two
people and injuring four others."
"Pakistan
A gas pipeline explosion near
Quetta's Western Bypass has
disrupted gas supply in Balochistan.
The incident occurred near a bridge, and
the pipeline was targeted with explosives.
Police and fire brigade personnel
brought the fire under control.
The damaged gas supply line has
caused a complete gas outage in
several areas, including Killa
Abdullah District and parts of Quetta.
Sui Southern Gas Company is assessing
the damage and working on repairs."
"Syria
The bodies of 3 former members of the
former regime forces, who were executed
by ISIS cells, were found in the desert
area in the eastern countryside of Homs."
"Syria
ISIS cells attacked a military checkpoint
and a checkpoint of the Internal
Security Forces in Hatla Village
in northern Deir Ezzor countryside.
No casualties were reported."
"Syria
Syria's new interior minister
reported that 14 personnel were
killed by remnants of Bashar
al-Assad's regime in Tartus province.
The interior ministry personnel
were ambushed while performing
their security duties."
"West Bank
The commander of a West
Bank regional brigade, Col.
Ayub Kayuf, was moderately injured
by a bomb explosion during a
military operation in Tulkarem.
He was taken to a hospital for
treatment, but no one else was hurt."
"West Bank
Israeli settlers attacked the Bedouin
Palestinian village of Arab Al-Melihat
near Jericho, throwing stones
and setting fire to a sheep barn.
Locals tried to put out the fire.
No arrests have been made."
"West Bank
One person is lightly wounded in a
suspected car-ramming attack at the
Gush Etzion junction in the West Bank.
The IDF has received reports of the attack
and will provide more information soon."
Military Conflict Events
"Afghanistan
Tuesday evening, Pakistan conducted
airstrikes on Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan
(TTP) bases in four areas of the
Barmal district of Paktika province.
According to reports from media sources
with close ties to the Pakistani military,
the recent targeted strikes resulted in
the deaths of multiple militants and the
destruction of four operational bases.
However, the Taliban Ministry of
Defense stated the strikes hit
Wazisitan refugees in the area, killing
46 people and injuring six others.
The Taliban said that they would
retaliate for the airstrikes."
"Democratic Republic of Congo
An exchange of fire between the Congolese
army and a militia group has resulted
in the death of up to eight civilians in
the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
The clash occurred in a village in
North Kivu province, resulting in
civilian casualties and injuries."
"Gaza Strip
The IDF conducted an airstrike on a Hamas
operative in the humanitarian zone of
Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip.
The strike was based on precise
intelligence, and measures were taken
to minimize civilian casualties,
such as aerial surveillance and
the use of precision weaponry."
"Gaza Strip
The IDF conducted a drone strike
on a Hamas operative in Gaza
City's Sheikh Radwan neighborhood.
No additional information was provided.
The IDF made efforts to
minimize civilian casualties."
"Gaza Strip
A group of Hamas operatives in
Gaza City planning a drone attack
on troops were targeted in an
airstrike by the Israeli Air Force.
The strike was carried out following
intelligence provided by the Military
Intelligence Directorate, Shin
Bet security agency, and the IDF's
990th Reserve Artillery Regiment.
Palestinian media report
three dead in the strike.
The IDF described the attack as imminent
and took steps to minimize civilian harm."
"Iraq
On Wednesday, the Turkish Ministry of
Defense stated that its forces killed
a PKK/YPG terrorist during an operation
in the Kurdish region of northern Iraq."
"Iraq
Turkish intelligence operatives killed a
Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) leader and
several other rebels during an operation
in the Gara region of northern Iraq.
Turkish authorities use the term
""neutralize"" to imply that the person
in interest has been killed or captured."
"Iraq
The Security Media Cell announced
the destruction of an ISIS cave
in Hamrin Mountains through
an airstrike by F-16 aircraft.
The Military Intelligence Directorate,
in coordination with the Targeting
Cell, monitored the cave, and the
Air Falcons successfully destroyed
it, killing the terrorists inside."
"Iraq
Turkish forces have conducted intense
shelling on PKK positions in a village
north of Duhok, Kurdistan Region.
The shelling targeted the area around
Merstak village, which is located
at the foothills of Matin Mountain.
This mountain is a key base
for the PKK and is frequently
targeted by Turkish airstrikes."
"Lebanon
Lebanon's state media reports an
Israeli airstrike in the Baalbek region.
The strike targeted Hezbollah warehouses
near Tarya, but there were no casualties.
The Israel Defense Forces have
not commented on the incident."
"Lebanon
The Lebanese Army has seized control
of a strategic site belonging to the
Popular Front for the Liberation of
Palestine â General Command (PFLP-GC) in
Qousaya, situated in the Beqaa Valley.
This action is part of a larger initiative
by the Lebanese military to assert
its authority over areas previously
dominated by diverse armed factions."
"Myanmar
On Tuesday, an artillery shell hit a
monastery in Bhamo Township, during
clashes between Kachin Independence
Army (KIA) insurgents and junta forces.
The explosion wounded several
civilians trapped in the monastery.
Civilians in the town pleaded
for help to escape the area."
"Nigeria
Joint security forces, led by the police,
have invaded and destroyed a camp set up
by gunmen in the Nimo community, Njikoka
Local Government Area of Anambra State.
The camp was located in a bush called
Owa Land, where kidnap victims from
various parts of the state were kept.
The security operation resulted in the
destruction of makeshift structures,
the recovery of 19 unexploded
improvised explosive devices (IEDs),
and injuries to fleeing suspects."
"Pakistan
Tuesday night, Pakistani forces
killed 13 terrorists during an
operation in the Sararogha area
of South Waziristan district."
"Russia
On Wednesday, a drone crashed in
the Russian Republic of Ingushetia,
and a UAV attack was reported in
Grozny, the capital of Chechnya.
The head of Ingushetia confirmed
the drone crash in Malgobek
with no casualties or damage.
The Chechen resistance movement
reported a drone attack on Russian law
enforcers in Chechnya, with explosions
heard in the surrounding areas.
The Secretary of the Security Council
confirmed the attack and stated
that everything was shot down."
"Russia
The Ukrainian Armed Forces targeted the
command post of Russia's 810th Separate
Marines Brigade in Lgov, Kursk region.
This attack is part of a larger campaign
to weaken Russia's military capabilities."
"Syria
Reports say that two people have
been wounded by IDF gunfire in the
Quneitra area in southern Syria.
The IDF has been operating in
a buffer zone between Israel
and Syria since the fall of the
Assad regime earlier this month."
"Syria
Two members of an engineering team
from the Al-Amshat Faction were killed
while trying to dismantle a landmine
in Tadif Town, Aleppo countryside.
The incident occurred in
the Euphrates Shield area."
"Syria
A civilian was killed and two
others injured in attacks by
the SDF in Manbij countryside.
The attacks targeted a house in
Habboubah Saghir village and a
farm near Rasm Aboud village.
The employees of Al-Khafsah water station
are concerned about the station being put
out of service due to ongoing attacks."
"Syria
Two members of the Internal
Security Forces and a member of
the Military Police were killed in
an attack by a Turkish drone on a
checkpoint in the Al-Hasakah area.
Turkish forces fired 15 missiles
in the vicinity of Abo Raseen Town,
but no casualties were reported."
"Syria
On Wednesday, the Turkish Ministry of
Defense stated that its forces killed
20 PKK/YPG terrorists who were preparing
to launch an attack in northern Syria."
"Syria
A clash in Tartus province resulted
in the deaths of nine people.
The conflict arose when security forces
attempted to arrest an officer connected
to the notorious Saydnaya prison.
The officer was responsible for
issuing death sentences and arbitrary
judgments against prisoners.
The clashes occurred after
residents refused to allow
their houses to be searched.
The officer's brother and armed
men intercepted the security
forces, leading to casualties.
Dozens of people were subsequently
arrested in the village."
"Taiwan
Taiwan tracked six Chinese naval
vessels and three military aircraft
around its country between 6 a.m.
on Tuesday and 6 a.m.
on Wednesday.
Three aircraft entered Taiwanâs
eastern air defense identification
zone, and one Chinese balloon was
tracked to the north of Taiwan."
"Ukraine
A Russian attack on Kharkiv on December 25
caused damage to 74 buildings, including
residential and energy facilities.
The attack injured six people,
caused significant damage to
critical infrastructure, and left
approximately 500,000 households
without electricity and 520,000
households without heat and hot water.
Another attack by a Shahed
strike drone destroyed a private
home and damaged others."
"Ukraine
Drone strikes hit Russia's Tambov
region, damaging the Michurinsk Plant
Progress defense enterprise and causing
a fire at LLC Transnefteprodukt.
Four drones attacked the linear
dispatching production station of
LLC Transnefteprodukt, resulting
in a fire in a boiler room.
No casualties were reported.
The attack also caused damage to
JSC Michurinsk Plant Progress,
but this has not been confirmed.
The Russian Defense Ministry shot down
three drones and intercepted a total
of 59 drones across Russia overnight."
"Ukraine
Energy infrastructure in the
Vinnytsia region has been
damaged due to Russian attacks.
This incident follows a massive
Russian missile attack that led
to measures to limit electricity
consumption by Ukrenergo."
"Ukraine
A series of blasts occurred
in Dnipro during an ongoing
air raid alert in Ukraine.
Kharkiv also experienced explosions,
potentially due to Russian
missiles targeting the city.
The strike affected
non-residential infrastructure.
Additionally, Russia launched
Kalibr cruise missiles at
Ukraine from the Black Sea."
"Ukraine
Ukrainian forces claimed to have
killed or wounded 1,600 Russian
soldiers over the past day.
Over 125 pieces of military equipment
were destroyed in the fighting."
"Ukraine
In the Ivano-Frankivsk region, a fire
broke out at a critical infrastructure
facility due to a Russian strike.
The State Emergency Service promptly
extinguished the fire, and there
were no reported casualties.
114 firefighters and 36 units
of firefighting equipment were
involved in the response effort.
Earlier, a Russian missile strike
caused a blackout in part of the
region, but power supply has since
been restored in many settlements."
"Ukraine
The Russian army killed one resident
of the Donetsk region in Udachne
on December 24, according to Vadym
Filashkin, the head of the Donetsk
regional state administration."
"Ukraine
Ukraine's Defense Forces have shot
down 55 Russian cruise missiles, four
guided air missiles, and 54 drones.
The Russian forces launched a
combined strike on Ukrainian fuel
and energy sector facilities, using
various types of missiles and drones.
The Air Force detected and tracked 184 air
targets, and a total of 113 air targets
were confirmed to have been shot down.
The Russians attacked energy facilities
in multiple regions, causing damage."
"Ukraine
A fire broke out in the Zhytomyr
region due to a Russian attack,
damaging a wooden abandoned building
and causing a barn to catch fire.
The fire was extinguished in 30
minutes, and there were no casualties."
"Ukraine
A woman was killed in Novoosynove,
Ukraine's Kharkiv region,
due to a Russian strike.
The attack damaged private
homes and outbuildings."
"Ukraine
In the Donetsk region, a rescue
vehicle of the capital's rescuers
was damaged due to shelling.
The incident occurred while the
rescuers were performing their
assigned tasks near Pokrovsk.
Fortunately, no one was injured."
"West Bank
The IDF conducted a drone strike
in Tulkarem, West Bank, resulting
in three deaths and six injuries.
The military targeted a
group of Palestinian gunmen."
Civil Unrest Events
"Mozambique
Dozens of people were killed in a prison
riot in Mozambique on Christmas Day.
The riot occurred at the maximum
security prison in the capital Maputo,
resulting in 33 deaths and 15 injuries.
Approximately 1,530 prisoners
escaped, but 150 have been recaptured.
The identities of the victims are unknown.
Additionally, there have been other
incidents of unrest in Mozambique
following the confirmation of
the ruling party's victory.
At least 21 people have
died in these incidents."
"Serbia
On Wednesday, hundreds of university
students in Belgrade rallied to
protest the policies of President
Aleksandar Vucic and his ruling
Serbian Progressive Party (SNS).
The students blame Vucic and the SNP
for a recent railway disaster that
killed 15 people on November 1."
"Syria
Angry protests broke out in the
heartland of deposed Syrian ruler Bashar
al-Assad's Alawite minority after a video
circulated showing an attack on a shrine.
Demonstrations occurred in Homs,
Tartus, Latakia, and Jableh,
with thousands of protesters.
The transitional authorities,
appointed by the Islamist group Hayat
Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), stated that
the shrine attack was not recent and
was carried out by unknown groups.
The protests were in response to the video
showing the attack on an Alawite shrine in
Aleppo, which occurred earlier this month.
A curfew has been imposed
in Homs due to the unrest."
Accident Events
"Kazakhstan
On Wednesday, an Azerbaijan Airlines
passenger plane carrying 67 passengers
crashed approximately 1.8 miles from
the city of Aktau, killing 39 people
on board and injuring 22 others.
The aircraft crashed
following a bird collision."
"Papua New Guinea
On Sunday, a plane crashed in the
remote area of Morobe Province,
killing all five people on board.
An investigation was underway."
"Russia
Authorities in Russia's Krasnodar
region have declared a region-wide
emergency due to ongoing oil pollution
on the coastline caused by two tankers
that ran into trouble during a storm.
The pollution has affected sandy beaches,
harming seabirds, dolphins, and porpoises.
Over 10,000 people are
working to clean up the oil."
"Syria
A child died, and three others
were injured when an old landmine
exploded while a group of children
was collecting wooden boxes in the
89th Military Brigade area near Jababb
town in northern Daraa countryside.
The injured children were taken
to the hospital for treatment."
"United States
Federal investigators are
investigating the cause of a
plane crash on Hawaii Island.
The National Transportation Safety
Board is looking into a Cessna that
went down at Parker Ranch in Waimea.
The plane experienced a loss of
engine power, but fortunately, both
occupants walked away unharmed."
"United States
On Tuesday, 17 railcars of a BNSF train
derailed a few miles south of Brenham.
No one was injured in the derailment."
Cyber Events
"Japan
Japan Airlines (JAL) confirmed a cyber
attack that may impact flight operations.
The attack began at 7:24 a.m.
local time, and internal and
external systems were impacted."
Thanks for joining us for the December
26, 2024 Geopolitical Report Daily.
As a reminder, complete reports with
casualty information, interactive
web maps, and our IntelHub dashboard
are available with a Geopolitical
Report Pro subscription, which you
can try with a seven-day-free-trial
at www.geopolitical.report.
Don't forget to tune in again
tomorrow for the most recent
events from around the world.