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Cedric: Welcome to the Geopolitical
Report Daily for January 13, 2025.
Complete reports with casualty
information, interactive web maps, and
our IntelHub dashboard are available with
a Geopolitical Report Pro subscription.
Sunday was eventful, with 61 incidents
mapped, including more protests
in Romania, so let's get started.
Terrorism,
"India
Two policemen were injured in an IED
explosion orchestrated by Maoists
in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district.
The blast occurred during a
security operation involving
District Reserve Guard personnel
and Kutru police station members.
The injured constables have been
taken to the district hospital
and are reported to be stable.
Security forces are conducting search
operations to apprehend the attackers."
"India
On Sunday, security forces recovered
two improvised explosive devices (IEDs)
weighing approximately 1 kg each and one
5 kg IED during a search operation in the
Govajang area of the Tengnoupal district."
"India
On Saturday, security forces recovered
and defused three suspected Maoist
5 kg IEDs during an operation in a
forest near the village of Lowabera
in the West Singhbhum district."
"India
On Sunday, three Maoists were killed
in an encounter with security forces
in the Indravati National Park area
of Bijapur district in Chhattisgarh.
The gunfight broke out in the morning
when a joint team of security personnel
was conducting an anti-Maoist operation.
Security forces recovered automatic
weapons, explosives, and other
firearms after the encounter."
"India
Last Wednesday, January 8, Baramulla
police arrested three terrorists
involved in the grenade attack on
a security force camp in Hamray
Pattan the day before, January 7.
The grenade attack resulted in damage
to the camp but no casualties."
"India
Six improvised explosive devices
(IEDs) fitted with arrows were found
in Saranda forest in West Singhbhum.
The IEDs were defused by the bomb
disposal squad in remote hilly areas.
The explosives were intended
to target security personnel
on anti-Maoist operations."
"Nigeria
Boko Haram terrorists have attacked
Chibok village in Nigeria, resulting
in the deaths of two civilians.
The assailants also set fire to several
churches and houses during the raid.
This incident marks another violent
episode attributed to the militant group,
which has been responsible for numerous
attacks in the region over the years."
"Nigeria
As of Sunday, the Civilian Joint
Task Force (CJTF) in Zamfara
State neutralized two bandits in a
daring raid at the weekly market in
Bilbis, Tsafe Local Government Area.
The operation recovered two operational
motorcycles used by the bandits.
However, after the operation, other
terrorists conducted a retaliatory
attack on the town, prompting a
military response to secure the area."
"Nigeria
Last Thursday, January 9, suspected
armed herdsmen ambushed three buses in
the Enugu-Ezike area of the Igbo-Eze
North Local Government Area (LGA) of
Enugu State, abducting 35 passengers,
including four Nigerian soldiers.
One of the soldiers managed to
escape after being kidnapped."
"Nigeria
Last Friday, January 10, suspected
Lakurawa terrorists killed three telecom
workers and one other person at a
construction site in Gumki village, Arewa
Local Government Area, where the victims
were installing a surveillance mast
for the Nigeria Immigration Service."
"Syria
A person detonated a grenade at
a checkpoint in the Tartous area,
but there were no casualties.
The Military Operations Administration is
also searching for weapons in Al-Barikhiya
Village in the Tartous countryside."
"Syria
Gunmen from an ISIS cell attacked a
military vehicle of the Syrian Democratic
Forces (SDF) in Theban town in Deir Ezzor.
The attack resulted in injuries
to several SDF fighters, who
were subsequently hospitalized."
"West Bank
Two Palestinian gunmen were detained
by Israeli forces in Nablus while en
route to carry out a shooting attack.
The gunmen were found with
loaded M16 assault rifles, vests,
face masks, and ammunition.
They were identified as members of the
Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group."
"West Bank
A Palestinian official reports that a
Palestinian community near Bethlehem
was attacked by dozens of settlers,
resulting in the burning of tents
and the assault of sheepherders."
"West Bank
A 27-year-old woman was injured by
rocks thrown by Palestinian attackers
at cars near Ariel in the West Bank.
The woman suffered minor facial
injuries from glass fragments and has
been evacuated for medical treatment.
The incident occurred near the Palestinian
village of Hares, and security forces
are searching for the perpetrators."
"Yemen
On Saturday, four ISIS terrorists died
after they detonated their explosive
belts in the Al Quraishyah District
after security forces approached them
during an anti-terrorist operation."
Military Conflict
"Iraq
On Sunday, Iraq's Ministry of Defense
announced its forces neutralized three
PKK terrorists in the Operation Claw-Lock
and Metina regions of northern Iraq.
Turkish authorities use the
term neutralize to imply the
terrorists in question surrendered
or were killed or captured."
"Lebanon
Israeli airstrikes were reported in
the village of Houmine al-Faouqa, in
the Nabatieh District, north of the
Litani River, near Israel's border.
There has been no comment from the IDF."
"Myanmar
On Saturday, a junta airstrike on a
public market in Kyauktaw Township claimed
an unspecified number of casualties."
"Myanmar
A junta airstrike hit a market in a
gold mining area of Tanaing Township
on Saturday, killing at least 15
civilians and wounding 10 others."
"Nigeria
On Saturday evening, an errant airstrike
by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) struck
members of the Zamfara Community
Protection Guard (ZCPG), local vigilantes,
and residents in Tungar Kara, a village
in Maradun Local Government Area of
Zamfara State, killing at least 20
people and injuring dozens of others.
The victims, including local vigilantes
and the state-backed security outfit
Askarawa, had been attempting to
repel fleeing terrorists when the
mistaken bombardment occurred."
"Nigeria
Last Friday, Nigerian forces killed
over 25 terrorists and wounded 18
others during operations against numerous
terrorist hideouts in the Fakai area of
the Shinkafi Local Government Area (LGA).
Additionally, troops rescued seven
kidnap victims during the operations.
Air operations supported
the offensive operations."
"Russia
On Saturday evening, the Russian
military launched two airstrikes near
a boarding house in Sudzha, causing
significant damage to the town.
The boarding house primarily housed
elderly people, individuals with
disabilities, and families with children.
The strikes resulted in injuries,
including a woman who later died
from her severe hand injury."
"Somalia
Saturday night, Somali forces and local
clan militias killed seven al-Shabab
terrorists, including key leaders, during
an operation in the Amara district."
"Syria
Turkish-backed factions, supported by
aircraft, launched a violent attack
near the Teshreen dam, resulting
in the death of seven militiamen.
Concurrently, protests are taking place
near the dam, calling for international
intervention to establish a no-fly zone
and prevent further attacks that endanger
civilians and vital infrastructure."
"Syria
The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)
reported that seven of its fighters
were killed in ongoing battles
in northern and eastern Syria.
They also stated that 23 Turkish-backed
militants were killed and 36 were wounded.
The SDF attributed their deaths to
resistance against Turkish occupation,
mercenaries, and ISIS cells.
The SDF claimed to have successfully
repelled all attacks and inflicted
heavy casualties on the enemy."
"Syria
Special forces of Syrian Democratic
Forces (SDF), supported by
International Coalition aircraft,
conducted a security operation in
the Bako area in the Al-Hasakah
countryside, targeting an ISIS cell.
Clashes occurred between security
forces and the cell's members,
resulting in the death of all three
members and a senior commander.
The cell had planned to carry out
attacks in SDF-controlled areas,
including an attack on Al-Sena'a prison."
"Syria
Turkish fighter jets conducted
airstrikes on Sarrin Airport,
Tal Tefaha, and Tal Barkal in the
Ain Al-Arab (Kobane) countryside.
Explosions and smoke were observed,
but no casualties were reported.
Turkish forces also fired artillery
shells on the village of Sarrin and
the outskirts of Qarh Qouzaq Bridge.
Intense clashes between the SDF
and factions of the National
Army occurred at the Teshreen
dam, resulting in casualties."
"Syria
On Sunday, the Turkish Ministry of Defense
announced that its forces neutralized
six PKK terrorists during operations
in the Operation Euphrates Shield and
Peace Spring Zones of northern Syria.
Turkish authorities use the
term neutralize to imply the
terrorists in question surrendered
or were killed or captured."
"Syria
Turkish forces and their proxies launched
an attack on Khirbet Al-Shaâaeer village
in the northern Al-Hasakah countryside,
using heavy artillery and mortar shells.
Fortunately, there were
no casualties reported."
"Taiwan
Taiwan tracked eight Chinese military
aircraft and six naval vessels operating
around its country between 6 a.m.
on Saturday and 6 a.m.
on Sunday.
Seven aircraft crossed the Taiwan
Strait median line, entering the
nationâs northern and southwestern Air
Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ).
Taiwan also tracked one Chinese
balloon floating over southern Taiwan."
"Ukraine
In Antonivka, Kherson region, a
58-year-old man was injured in a
drone attack by Russian forces.
He suffered blast injuries and
shrapnel wounds to his legs
and is currently hospitalized.
Two other individuals were
also injured in the attack."
"Ukraine
Russian forces launched a drone
attack on Antonivka in the Kherson
region, injuring a 47-year-old woman.
The woman suffered blast injuries
and shrapnel wounds to her
forearm, legs, and lower back."
"Ukraine
Ukrainian forces claimed to have
killed or wounded 1,750 Russian
soldiers over the past day.
Over 170 pieces of military equipment
were destroyed in the fighting."
"Ukraine
Russian troops killed one civilian
and injured seven more in the Donetsk
region on January 11, according to
Vadym Filashkin, the head of the Donetsk
Regional Military Administration."
"Ukraine
In Kherson, a drone attack in the
Dniprovsky district resulted in
two people sustaining injuries.
The victims, a man born in 1968 and
a woman born in 1976, are currently
being examined in the hospital."
"Ukraine
Russian forces conducted 49 attacks
on the border areas of Chernihiv,
Kharkiv, and Sumy regions, resulting
in a total of 156 explosions.
The enemy used various weapons including
artillery, rockets, grenades, mortars,
tanks, drones, and explosive devices.
Nine settlements in Chernihiv
and seventeen settlements in
Sumy region were affected.
In Kharkiv region, the Russian forces
targeted three specific locations."
"Ukraine
A Russian FPV drone attacked the
village of Solonchaky in the Mykolaiv
region, injuring a 71-year-old man.
The victim was hospitalized and
is in a moderate condition."
"Ukraine
Russian forces dropped explosives from a
drone on residents of Kherson, injuring a
57-year-old woman and a 62-year-old man.
The woman sustained blast injuries
and shrapnel wounds to her leg,
while the man suffered mine-explosive
injuries and shoulder trauma.
The Russian forces also attacked 47
settlements in the Kherson region
over the past 24 hours, resulting
in one death and two injuries."
"Ukraine
In Myrnohrad, Donetsk region, the Russian
military shelled a hospital building
and damaged an apartment building.
No casualties have been reported."
"Ukraine
Russian occupants shelled Kramatorsk, but
there is no information about the victims.
The head of the Kramatorsk Military
Academy, Oleksandr Honcharenko,
reported this on Facebook."
"Ukraine
The Armed Forces of Ukraine conducted
a precision airstrike on a command
post of Russia's 2nd Guards Combined
Arms Army in the temporarily
occupied part of the Donetsk region."
"Ukraine
Ukrainian Defense Forces successfully
intercepted 60 drones launched
by Russian troops on January 11.
Thirty-four other Russian drones were
lost from tracking without causing damage.
Debris from intercepted drones damaged
houses, but there were no casualties."
"Ukraine
A passenger bus was attacked by a
Russian drone in Myropillia, resulting
in injuries to two female passengers.
Russian forces have also shelled
two communities in Sumy region,
with 31 explosions recorded."
"Ukraine
In the Kharkiv region, the Russian army
fired on Kupiansk, resulting in one death.
The attack also caused damage
to a civilian enterprise."
Civil Unrest
"Romania
Tens of thousands of protesters
gathered in Bucharest, Romania, to
demonstrate against the annulment
of the presidential election.
The Constitutional Court made the
unprecedented decision to cancel the
election after an outsider candidate,
Calin Georgescu, unexpectedly
emerged as the frontrunner.
Allegations of electoral violations
and Russian interference followed
Georgescu's victory in the first round.
Protesters demanded the resumption
of the election from the second
round and a return to democracy.
The canceled race has caused turmoil
in the country, and new dates have
been set for a rerun of the vote."
"Serbia
Tens of thousands of anti-government
protesters in Belgrade held a silent
commemoration for the victims of
a railway station roof collapse.
They blame the ruling Serbian Progressive
Party for corruption and nepotism.
Students at state universities have
been blockading classes and demanding
the release of relevant documents
and criminal prosecution of officials
responsible for the disaster.
The opposition and the public have also
protested, accusing the government of
shoddy construction due to corruption."
Cyber
"Italy
Cyberattacks claimed by the pro-Russian
Noname057(16) group hit Italian targets,
including banks, ports, and companies.
Italy's cyber security agency
is working to support the
affected firms and authorities.
The attacks, described as
Distributed Denial of Service, also
targeted official websites, public
transport companies, and airports."
"Luxembourg
Several Luxembourg government
websites, including MyGuichet
and LuxTrust, were targeted in a
cyberattack on Friday afternoon.
The attack, known as a Distributed
Denial-of-Service (DDoS)
attack, rendered the websites
inaccessible for about two hours.
The online services are now accessible
again, but the State Information
Technology Centre (CTIE) does
not have further details on the
attack or the responsible party."
"Netherlands
Technische Universiteit Eindhoven
(TU/e) has taken its internal
network offline due to a cyberattack.
This has resulted in students
and staff being unable to access
network-dependent services such as
email, Wi-Fi, Canvas, and Teams.
Educational activities have been
suspended until at least Monday.
ICT experts are investigating the
attack, and the network is expected
to be accessible again by Tuesday."
Weapons
"India
Police on Sunday announced that security
forces recovered seven firearms,
including one AK-56 rifle and one
Chinese-origin hand grenade, during
a search operation in the village
of Gelmol, Churachandpur district."
"Iran
On Sunday, the commander of Iranâs Border
Guard Police, Brigadier General Ahmad Ali
Goudarzi, announced that security forces
had seized a shipment of explosive devices
from a team of terrorists attempting
to infiltrate from Iraq into Sardasht
County, located in northwest Iran.
Security forces discovered the
explosives after the terrorists fled
the area after they came under attack."
Accidents
"Australia
On Sunday, a small aircraft crashed
into the Fogg Dam recreational area
southeast of Darwin, killing the
pilot and injuring a passenger.
An investigation was underway."
"Colombia
On Friday, Colombian authorities reported
that last Wednesday, January 8, a
small plane crashed in a rural area of
Urraro, killing ten people on board.
Adverse weather conditions
complicated the location of the
crash and its recovery process."
"France
Two trams collided in Strasbourg, France,
causing injuries but no critical ones.
Around 50 people were in a state of
relative emergency with various injuries.
An additional 100 people were
assessed for shock or stress.
The exact cause of the collision
is unclear, but one of the
trams was reportedly reversing."
"Pakistan
Nine people were killed and a
dozen injured in a tragic road
accident in Karak district.
The accident occurred when a
trailer fell over a passenger
coach due to brake failure.
The container also damaged
other vehicles parked nearby.
The mishap happened on the
Peshawar-Karachi Highway."
"Russia
An oil spill in the Kerch Strait,
caused by two storm-damaged Russian
tankers, continues to expand,
prompting the formation of an
emergency task force in Krasnodar.
Over 155,000 tons of contaminated sand
and soil have been collected since the
spill was first detected a month ago.
Russian President Putin has called
it a serious environmental crisis."
"Syria
A young man and a nine-year-old girl died
in separate incidents involving landmine
explosions in Aleppo and Homs countryside.
The incidents occurred in areas controlled
by the National Army and the Military
Operations Administration, respectively."
"Syria
A civilian in Kafr Mos village,
under the control of the caretaker
government in the southern countryside
of Idlib, died from injuries caused
by an explosion of an old landmine."
"Yemen
On Saturday, an explosion and subsequent
massive fire at a gas station in
the Zaher district of Bayda province
killed 15 people and injured 67 others.
A search for others missing in
the incident was undertaken.
It was unclear what caused the explosion."
Other Events
"Iran
Iran has expanded its military drills to
include two additional nuclear facilities.
The drills, named Eqtedar,
involve the army and the Islamic
Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
They are currently being held at the
Fordo and Khondab nuclear facilities in
central and western Iran, respectively.
The activities include missile and radar
units, electronic warfare units, and
intelligence and reconnaissance commands."
Thanks for joining us for the January
13, 2025 Geopolitical Report Daily.
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