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Cedric: Welcome to the Geopolitical
Report Daily for December 29, 2024.
Complete reports with casualty
information, interactive web maps, and
our IntelHub dashboard are available with
a Geopolitical Report Pro subscription.
It was a busy Saturday with 52
events mapped, so let's get started.
Terrorism
"Afghanistan
On Saturday, a suspected terrorist
bomb explosion near the Sheikh Zayed
Hospital injured at least four people.
No group has claimed
responsibility for the blast."
"Afghanistan
The National Resistance Front of
Afghanistan (NRF) reported that its
forces had killed 10 Taliban fighters,
including a commander, and wounded five
others during a targeted operation on the
headquarters of the Ministry of Interior.
Khalid Zadran, a spokesman for
the Taliban's police command in
Kabul, stated that four people
were injured in the incident."
"Bangladesh
Friday night, police arrested a
high-ranking Bangladesh Chhatra League
(BCL) militant leader in Mongla.
The individual led the attacks on
the students during the movement of
anti-discrimination students in July."
"Democratic Republic of Congo
Allied Democratic Forces (ADF)
rebels have killed at least 21
people in eastern Democratic Republic
of Congo during Christmas week.
The attacks occurred near the town
of Manguredjipa, which is known
for its mineral deposits and is
frequently targeted by the ADF.
The rebels attacked villages on
December 21 and 22, killing six
and twelve people, respectively.
On Christmas Day, they killed three
more people in a nearby village."
"Ethiopia
At least 30 members of the Somali
regional police force and 53
civilians have been killed in
Harshin Woreda over the past week.
Government officials confirmed the
casualties, but other sources report
the attacks claimed more than 200 lives.
The violence was perpetrated by
an armed group that crossed into
Ethiopian territory from the
neighboring Somaliland region.
Harshin Woreda is located in a border
area, bordered on the south by Degehabur
Zone, on the west by Kebri Beyah,
and the northeast by Somaliland.
The region is home to clans that inhabit
the Somali regional state and Somaliland."
"India
Friday night, gunfire continued in
the Sana Sabi area near the Kangpokpi
District of Imphal East, injuring
several civilians, including a woman.
Earlier in the day, a video journalist
was wounded in the fighting."
"India
On Friday, State Special Operation
Cell (SSOC) forces arrested two
people in Amritsar for carrying out
a grenade attack on an Islamabad
police state on December 17."
"Indonesia
On Friday, counter-terrorism forces
arrested four suspected terrorists
during raids on their homes in
various locations in Majalengka."
"Iraq
On Friday, the Iraqi Ministry of Defense
announced its forces arrested two
ISIS terrorists during an operation in
the Rawa district of Anbar Province."
"Israel
The IDF confirms that a missile
fired from Yemen towards Jerusalem
and the Dead Sea was intercepted
before reaching Israeli territory.
The sirens were activated as a precaution.
It is unclear whether an Israeli or
US system shot down the missile."
"Israel
Two long-range rockets were launched from
the northern Gaza Strip towards Jerusalem.
The IDF attempted to intercept
the rockets, but the results
are still being investigated.
Sirens sounded in Beit Shemesh and
surrounding towns, as well as near Gaza.
There are no reports of
injuries or major damage."
"Nigeria
Thirteen kidnap victims in Oke-Ero
local government area of Kwara State
have been rescued by the police.
The victims were forcefully abducted on
their way to a wedding in Kogi State.
The rescue operation involved the
police and local security personnel.
The kidnappers, dressed in
military uniforms, engaged in a
gun battle but were overpowered."
"Nigeria
On Friday, Nigerian forces clashed
with Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB)
militants and its armed affiliate, the
Eastern Security Network (ESN) in Osina.
The clash resulted in the
death of two soldiers.
One other soldier was reported
missing after the encounter.
The terrorists managed to flee the area.
Troops later engaged with the
IPOB/ESN militants in the Nkwachi
Community, killing one of them."
"Pakistan
During an intelligence-based operation
in the Barho Khel area of Mir Ali
tehsil on Friday, security forces
engaged in an exchange of fire with
25 terrorists, resulting in the deaths
of nine militants, including two
commanders, and injuries to seven others.
Troops recovered firearms and
ammunition after the encounter."
"Pakistan
Pakistan's security forces successfully
thwarted multiple infiltration attempts
by 20 to 25 terrorists and Afghan Taliban
elements at the Pak-Afghan border in the
Kurram area between Friday and Saturday.
Pakistani troops killed more than
15 terrorists, and Afghan Taliban
fighters killed and wounded
several others injured in fighting.
Furthermore, Afghan Taliban forces
abandoned six of their outposts
and retreated, surrendering
key strategic positions.
Preliminary reports suggest the number
of casualties sustained by Afghan
government troops may continue to rise."
"Philippines
On Friday, government forces recovered and
disposed of a suspected Bangsamoro Islamic
Freedom Fighters (BIFF) IED discovered
in the village of Iginagampong village,
Datu Unsay town, Maguindanao del Sur."
"Syria
A car bomb exploded in the
center of Manbij, Syria, causing
damage but no casualties.
The blast occurred in a town that
pro-Turkey armed groups recently
took over from Kurdish-led forces.
This is the second attack in days, with
the previous one killing two people."
"Syria
ISIS cells attacked the municipality
of Sad Teshrin in the Hazima
area, Al-Raqqa countryside.
The guard of the building was killed,
and agricultural tractors were burned."
"West Bank
Three Palestinian farmers in the
village of Silwad, West Bank, were
attacked and injured by settlers
while working on private land.
The attackers, who came from a
newly established settler outpost,
also damaged several vehicles."
Military Conflict
"Afghanistan
According to sources, on Saturday,
intense clashes erupted between Afghan
and Pakistani border forces at crossing
points along the shared border,
resulting in the deaths of 19 Pakistani
soldiers and three Afghan civilians.
The fierce fighting continues in the
eastern Afghan provinces of Khost
and Paktia, which border Pakistan.
Afghan border forces have set several
Pakistani military posts on fire in the
Ali Shir district of Khost province.
Additionally, they have captured two
Pakistani posts in the Dand-e-Patan
district of Paktia province."
"Estonia
Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna
announced that Estonia launched
naval patrols on Friday to safeguard
a power cable running beneath the
Baltic Sea that connects Finland.
The patrols come after suspected
sabotage of a similar cable earlier
this week, prompting Finnish authorities
to seize an oil tanker on Thursday
due to suspicions of its involvement
in cutting critical undersea cables."
"Gaza Strip
An IDF spokesperson denies Hamas
claims that Israeli troops set fire
to Kamal Adwan Hospital in Gaza.
IDF says troops were not in
the hospital, and a small fire
broke out in an empty building.
Hamas claims troops entered the facility
and forced staff and patients outside.
IDF says it was conducting operations
against Hamas in the area but
had not entered the hospital.
Israel has intensified its
offensive in northern Gaza
to prevent Hamas regrouping."
"Gaza Strip
The IDF's Gaza Division and Nahal Brigade
launched a new operation against Hamas
in Beit Hanoun in the Strip's north.
The operation is based on
intelligence about terrorists and
terror infrastructure in the area.
Israeli fighter jets and artillery forces
carried out strikes before troops entered.
The IDF is allowing civilians
to evacuate the area."
"Gaza Strip
The Israeli military has completed
an operation against Hamas at Kamal
Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza.
During the operation, 240 suspected
terror operatives were detained,
including the hospital's director and 15
terrorists involved in a previous attack.
The IDF had intelligence that the hospital
was being used as a Hamas stronghold.
The operation involved multiple units,
with the Navy's Shayetet 13 commando
unit carrying out activities inside
the hospital and seizing weapons."
"Pakistan
Thursday night, Pakistani security
force strikes targeted two terrorist
hideouts in the Manra area of
Birmal Tehsil, South Waziristan.
There were no reported
casualties in the strikes.
On Friday night, a targeted operation
in the same area resulted in the
killing of two Tehrik-i-Taliban
Pakistan (TTP) militants, including
the local commander, Noor Muhammad."
"Russia
The Ukrainian Air Force, with
the help of other Defense Forces,
targeted and destroyed a Russian
military facility in the Oryol region.
The facility was used for
storing, maintaining, and
repairing Shahed kamikaze drones."
"Sudan
On Thursday, Rapid Support Forces
(RSF) shelled the Abu Souk refugee
camp in El Fasher, killing three
people and wounding three others.
The camp houses approximately 600,000
displaced people and has been repeatedly
subject to RSF artillery fire, forcing
residents to flee to the town of
Tawilan and other areas in the region."
"Syria
A Turkish drone targeted military vehicles
in the Kobane area, injuring five SDF
members and causing significant damage.
Additionally, artillery shells were fired
on silos in Khifyat Al-Salem and Qaza'aly
Village in Tel Abyad countryside."
"Syria
New clashes were reported in
eastern Aleppo as Syrian Democratic
Forces launched missiles at
factions of the National Army near
Teshreen Dam and Qarrah Quzaq Dam.
Turkish forces also conducted
heavy artillery fire on Aslanki
village, resulting in civilian
injuries and material damage."
"Taiwan
Taiwan tracked seven Chinese
military aircraft and five vessels
around its country between 6 a.m.
on Friday and Saturday.
One aircraft crossed over the
median line of the Taiwan Strait and
entered the countryâs northern air
defense identification zones (ADIZ)."
"Ukraine
Russian forces wounded two residents
of the Donetsk region on December 27.
Damage assessments were not
reported in the attacks."
"Ukraine
Ukraine's air defense forces
successfully shot down 15 out
of 16 Russian UAVs overnight,
with one drone going off course.
The attack was carried out by
Russian forces using Shahed strike
drones and unidentified UAVs.
The Ukrainian electronic warfare units
and mobile fire teams were able to shoot
down 15 drones in the Mykolaiv region.
One drone caused damage to an enterprise
and an apartment building in Mykolaiv,
but no casualties were reported."
"Ukraine
Ukrainian forces claimed to have
killed or wounded 1,690 Russian
soldiers over the past day.
Around 130 pieces of military equipment
were destroyed in the fighting."
"Ukraine
Russia launched 397 strikes
on 12 settlements in
Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region.
The attacks included airstrikes,
UAV attacks, MLRS attacks,
and artillery strikes.
There were reports of damage to
residential buildings and infrastructure,
but no civilian casualties were reported."
"Ukraine
Five people were injured in Russian
strikes on Ukraine's southern
Kherson region on December 27.
Multiple locations were targeted,
resulting in damage to a high-rise
building, private houses, an
outbuilding, a garage, and vehicles."
"Ukraine
Russian forces fired artillery at
Bilozerka in the Kherson region, injuring
three people, including two children.
The children, a 16-year-old boy, and
a 15-year-old girl sustained blast and
head injuries, as well as concussions.
A 21-year-old man was also hospitalized
with a shrapnel wound to his neck.
Later, three women inside a house
were also injured, with two of them
diagnosed with blast and head injuries.
In a separate incident, a man was
injured when Russian forces attacked
a civilian car with a drone in
the Dnipro district of Kherson."
"Ukraine
Russian troops shelled communities in the
Nikopol district of the Dnipropetrovsk
region about 20 times throughout the day.
As a result, several homes,
utility structures, cars,
and a truck were damaged.
Infrastructure, including a
gas station, was also affected.
No casualties or injuries were reported."
"United States
On Friday, the UN Security Council
approved the establishment of a new
African Union force in Somalia to combat
the Islamist militant group Al-Shabaab.
The resolution, adopted by 14 of the
Council's 15 member states, calls for
the deployment of this force in January.
The resolution also replaces the African
Union Transition Mission in Somalia
(ATMIS), whose mandate expires on December
31, with the new African Union Support and
Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM).
The US abstained from the vote
due to concerns over funding."
"Yemen
Suspected US-UK airstrikes targeted
Houthi positions in Yemen's
capital of Sanaa on Friday.
The strikes followed Israeli airstrikes on
Thursday on infrastructure in the city."
Civil Unrest
"Georgia
Thousands of Georgians formed a
human chain in central Tbilisi to
support the country's EU membership.
Mass street protests began on November
28 after the ruling party announced
a delay in EU accession talks.
The protests coincided with the
controversial inauguration of the
new president, who was declared
""illegitimate"" by the current
leader and the pro-Western opposition.
Similar rallies were held in
other cities across Georgia."
"Israel
Five demonstrators protesting for
the release of hostages were arrested
outside Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu's home in Jerusalem.
Around 20 people gathered, calling
out to the premier about the suffering
of the hostages in Hamas tunnels.
They also mentioned investigations
into his wife and his son,
avoiding reserve duty.
The demonstrators dispersed after 20
minutes, but some were detained by
police for violating noise restrictions."
"Israel
Hostage families and their supporters
held separate rallies in Tel Aviv,
demanding the release of their loved ones.
They accused the government
of derailing talks for a deal
to bring the captives home."
"South Korea
Hundreds of thousands of South Koreans
rallied in Seoul, demanding the removal
of the suspended president, Yoon Suk Yeol.
The protests grew after Yoon's
failed declaration of martial law.
The impeachment of acting president Han
Duck-soo deepened the political crisis.
With only six of its nine seats filled,
the constitutional court requires
six votes to uphold Yoon's removal.
A counterprotest by far-right
evangelical Christian groups
called for Yoon's reinstatement."
"Syria
Residents in Ain Al-Arab city (Kobane)
held a mass demonstration to condemn
recent Turkish attacks on SDF-controlled
areas in north and east Syria.
They called for an end to military
escalation in the region, lifting flags
and chanting anti-Turkey slogans."
"Turkey
Thousands of people protested in
Ankara, Turkey, demanding a larger
increase in the minimum wage.
The government announced a 30%
increase for 2025, but workers
wanted a 70% increase to account
for inflation and welfare.
The main opposition party called
the protest, criticizing the
government for being out of touch."
Political Conflict
"Gaza Strip
Following rocket fire from Gaza,
the military issued an urgent
evacuation warning to civilians
in the Strip's far north.
Col.
Avichay Adraee, the IDF's
Arabic-language spokesman, published
a map showing areas to evacuate.
The rockets were fired from Beit
Hanoun, where the military launched
an offensive against Hamas."
"United States
US President-elect Donald Trump has
filed a brief urging the Supreme Court
to pause a law that would ban TikTok
if it is not sold by its Chinese owner
ByteDance before his inauguration.
Trump's legal team argues that the court
should consider staying the deadline
to allow for a political resolution.
Trump had previously tried to ban TikTok
during his first term, citing national
security concerns and allegations of data
manipulation by the Chinese government.
Both Trump and his successor,
Joe Biden, have called for a ban
on TikTok for the same reasons."
Cyber
"Italy
On Saturday, a pro-Russia hacking
group, identified as Noname057(16),
claimed responsibility for a
cyberattack that targeted at least ten
official websites in Italy, including
those belonging to the foreign
ministry and two airports in Milan.
In a statement released on Telegram, the
group stated that Italy's ""Russophobes""
had received a ""well-deserved cyber
response."" Italy's cyber security agency
confirmed that the attack temporarily
took the targeted websites offline."
"United States
Community Health Northwest Florida (CHNF),
a healthcare organization headquartered
in Pensacola, recently detected a
cybersecurity attack on its servers.
CHNF temporarily took its systems
offline to safeguard operations
and assess the situation.
The organization emphasized that there is
no evidence of compromised patient data.
CHNF provides health care to medically
underserved people in the Pensacola
Bay Area and surrounding regions of
Escambia and Santa Rosa counties."
Accidents
"Iraq
On Saturday, an Iraqi security source
reported the death of two children due to
the explosion of a remnant ISIS cluster
bomb left in Tikrit, Saladin Province."
"Syria
Two young men were killed by landmine
explosions in Al-Hamra area and
Harbiyah village in Al-Mansourah
countryside in Al-Raqqah countryside.
A landmine explosion near military
barracks in Al-Dumayr city in Rif
Dimashq also injured three children.
Additionally, a child was injured
by a landmine explosion in Al-Hotah
village in Manbij countryside."
"United States
Friday evening, 19 railcars
derailed in Thompsonville.
No injuries, fires, or
dangerous goods were reported."
Thanks for joining us for the December
29, 2024 Geopolitical Report Daily.
As a reminder, complete reports with
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