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Cedric: Welcome to the Geopolitical
Report Daily for January 2, 2025.
Complete reports with casualty
information, interactive web maps, and
our IntelHub dashboard are available with
a Geopolitical Report Pro subscription.
Wednesday was an eventful day,
including a terrorist attack in the
United States, so let's get started.
Terrorism,
"India
On Wednesday, Indian Border
Security Forces opened fire on
suspected infiltrators entering
from Pakistan in the R.S.
Pura sector of Jammu and Kashmir.
Following the incident, troops launched
a search operation in the area."
"India
On Tuesday, police and security
forces arrested four Jaish-e-Mohammad
(JeM) terrorist associates
in South Kashmirâs Tral area.
Police stated the individuals were
involved in providing logistic
support and transportation of arms and
ammunition to the active terrorists of
JeM in the Tral and Awantipora areas."
"India
Security forces in Bijapur district
of Chhattisgarh successfully
defused 10 Improvised Explosive
Devices (IEDs) planted by Maoists.
The operation involved the 168th
Battalion of the Central Reserve Police
Force (CRPF) and local law enforcement.
Eight IEDs were found near a temple
in Timapur during a routine Road
Opening Party (ROP) exercise.
Two more IEDs were discovered
between Kondapalli and Chhutwai
villages by a CRPF CoBRA unit."
"India
On Tuesday, Manipur police arrested
a suspected member of the Kangleipak
Communist Party (KCP) militant group
during an operation in Mantripukhri Bazar
near Bangali Crossing in Imphal East.
Police seized a 9mm pistol loaded
with three rounds and other
ammunition from the militant."
"Montenegro
A man went on a shooting spree
in Cetinje, Montenegro, killing
four people at a restaurant.
He then targeted three other
locations, killing at least six
more people, including two children.
Four others were seriously injured.
The man had a history of illegal weapons
possession and was believed to have been
heavily intoxicated during the incident.
The man eventually committed suicide."
"Myanmar
Wednesday, two bomb blasts in Sanchaung
Township, Yangon, injured one person
and damaged two cars, including one
belonging to the popular singer Yonelay.
The night before, military
forces patrolled the area based
on reports of a bomb threat.
No group has claimed
responsibility for the attack.
Yonelay has faced public criticism
for cooperating with the junta
after the 2021 coup and is known
for actively participating in
military-organized events."
"Nigeria
On Tuesday, gunmen abducted six
people as they were traveling in a car
near the village of Kwanar Jalaf in
the Shinkafi Local Government Area.
The assailants set the vehicle
on fire during the attack."
"Nigeria
On Monday, gunmen on motorcycles
attacked the village of Kuki in Kaduna
State, killing a seven-year-old girl
and wounding two other villagers.
The gunmen also rustled cows, stole
motorcycles, and looted ships."
"Pakistan
On Monday, the Baloch Liberation
Army (BLA) claimed to have targeted
Pakistani forces in the Splinji area
of the Mastung district, inflicting
an unspecified number of casualties."
"Pakistan
On Monday, the Balochistan Liberation
Front (BLF) claimed to have carried out
a series of attacks in the Awaran and
Kech districts, killing at least eight
soldiers and injuring several others."
"Pakistan
On Monday, the Baloch Liberation
Army (BLA) claimed to have carried
out a remote-controlled IED attack
on a Pakistani forces vehicle in the
Gwarkop area of the Kech District.
The BLA stated that the
attack killed five soldiers."
"Pakistan
A bomb blast targeted a Frontier
Corps (FC) vehicle in the Diz
Ghundai area of the Wana District,
injuring three FC personnel."
"Pakistan
On Tuesday, four gunmen riding two
motorcycles opened fire on a car carrying
two people in Karachi, killing a trader.
Police suggested that the
killing might have been an
outcome of some personal enmity."
"Pakistan
On Tuesday, a remote-controlled IED
bomb blast hit a police vehicle in the
Sorangi area of the Bannu district,
injuring eight people, including a
police officer and four constables."
"Pakistan
On Wednesday, a remote-controlled
bomb planted on a motorcycle
exploded in Azam Warsak, South
Waziristan Lower District, killing
one person and injuring eight others.
The blast also damaged shops
and vehicles in the area."
"Philippines
Just before midnight on Tuesday, an
unidentified assailant hurled a grenade at
a crowd of people at a roadside carnival
in Barangay Marbel in Matalam town.
The blast killed a villager.
Police are investigating the attack."
"United States
At least 10 people are dead, and
about 30 others are injured after a
vehicle intentionally struck a crowd
on Bourbon Street in New Orleans.
The driver has not been
taken into custody.
The City of New Orleans described the
incident as a ""mass casualty incident""
and stated that the vehicle drove into a
large crowd on Canal and Bourbon streets."
"United States
The attacker who drove a pickup
truck through a crowded Bourbon
Street and opened fire with a gun
was killed by police when he exited
the vehicle with an assault rifle.
Mayor LaToya Cantrell called the
incident a terrorist attack, but the FBI
has yet to confirm it as the intent."
"United States
The suspect driving the vehicle in the
New Orleans incident has been identified
as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a 42-year-old U.S.
citizen from Texas.
The truck he was driving had an ISIS
flag, and he drove around barricades
before opening fire on officers.
The suspect died after exchanging
gunfire with the police.
The incident is being investigated
as an act of terrorism."
"United States
Investigators have discovered a
suspected improvised explosive
device at the site of a fatal truck
ramming incident in New Orleans.
The FBI is currently verifying
whether the device is viable or not.
At least 10 individuals lost
their lives in the attack."
"United States
Authorities are investigating a Tesla
Cybertruck explosion outside the Trump Las
Vegas hotel as a possible act of terror.
The driver pulled into the valet
area, and the vehicle exploded,
killing the driver and causing
minor injuries to seven bystanders.
The cause of the blast is unknown, but
investigators found fireworks-style
mortars onboard the vehicle.
The explosion is being treated as a
possible criminal act and act of terror."
"West Bank
The IDF has confirmed that a suspect
was neutralized after carrying out
a suspected car-ramming attack near
the West Bank town of Dayr Qadis.
There are no reports of
injuries at this time."
Military Conflict
"Gaza Strip
Palestinian officials reported
that Israeli airstrikes in northern
and central Gaza resulted in the
deaths of at least 15 people.
The strikes targeted a house in the
Jabaliya area and the Bureij refugee camp.
Israel's military had warned
people to evacuate the Bureij area,
citing rocket fire from militants."
"Gaza Strip
An Israeli airstrike in the southern
Gaza Strip killed 10 Palestinians,
including women and children, in a
tent encampment for displaced families.
The area was designated
as a humanitarian zone.
Fifteen people were also injured.
The IDF has not yet commented."
"Iraq
On Wednesday, sources reported that
Iraqi forces launched an operation
on ISIS terrorist hideouts in the
Wadi al-Shay area of Kirkuk Province.
Troops launched the operation based
on a trove of intelligence following
the elimination of seven ISIS
terrorists in the province on Monday."
"Iraq
According to witness reports on
Wednesday, Turkish air defense forces
shot down a Kurdistan Workers' Party
(PKK) drone in the area between the
villages of Kwani and Merstak in the
Al-Amadiya district north of Duhok."
"Iraq
On Wednesday, a security source reported
that Turkish forces shelled Kurdistan
Workers' Party (PKK) positions in the
vicinity of the villages of Balafa,
Barji, and Sargali in the Mount Gara and
Mount Matin areas overlooking Al-Amadiya
district in northern Duhok Province.
The number of casualties and material loss
was unknown at the time of the report."
"Lebanon
The Israel Defense Forces conducted
an airstrike on a Hezbollah
cell in south Lebanon, targeting
operatives transferring weapons.
The strike hit both the
vehicle and a weapons depot.
The IDF remains committed to eliminating
threats to Israel and its citizens."
"Pakistan
On Wednesday, Anwar Zeb Khan, a
representative of the Bajaur region
in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Provincial
Assembly of Pakistan, stated that
hundreds of Taliban insurgents had
entered the Bajaur area from Afghanistan
and captured five checkpoints on Sunday.
According to Khan, the checkpoints
in the ""Mullah Saeed Banda"" area,
located far from the Afghan border, were
seized by approximately 400 insurgents.
The insurgents dug trenches and
built new bunkers to fortify
their position in the region."
"Taiwan
Taiwan tracked seven Chinese naval
vessels and two military aircraft
around its country between 6 a.m.
on Tuesday and 6 a.m.
on Wednesday.
One aircraft crossed the Taiwan Strait
median line in the nationâs southwest
Air Defense Identification Zone."
"Ukraine
A drone attack in the Kyiv region
damaged a private house and 10 vehicles,
according to the acting head of the
regional military administration.
The air raid alert lasted all
night, and air defense was active.
However, there were no casualties,
and no critical or residential
infrastructure was affected."
"Ukraine
Ukraine's Defense Forces have successfully
shot down 63 drones launched by
Russian forces since December 31.
Additionally, 46 Russian decoy
drones were lost from radar
detection without causing harm.
Two drones returned to Russia and Belarus.
The attack was countered by
Ukrainian aviation, anti-aircraft
missile units, electronic warfare
teams, and mobile fire groups.
The drones were shot down
over various regions."
"Ukraine
The latest Russian shelling in
Kherson's Dniprovskyi district
resulted in the death of one civilian.
In addition to the civilian
death, an elderly woman was also
injured in a morning strike."
"Ukraine
Ukrainian forces claimed to have
killed or wounded 1,250 Russian
soldiers over the past day.
Over 120 pieces of military equipment
were destroyed in the fighting."
"Ukraine
A civilian was killed by
Russian forces in Uspenivka.
Vadym Filashkin, Chief of the Donetsk
Regional Military Administration,
reported the incident on Facebook."
"Ukraine
As a result of a Russian drone attack
on Kyiv on January 1, one person
was killed, and seven others were
injured, including two pregnant women.
A search and rescue operation is ongoing."
"Ukraine
A 37-year-old man was injured when
Russian forces attacked a civilian
car using a drone in Zelenivka.
The drone dropped explosives on the
vehicle, causing a blast injury and a
shrapnel wound to the victim's leg."
"Ukraine
Russian forces attacked the Nikopol
district in the Dnipropetrovsk
region, causing destruction.
They used Grad MLRS, artillery,
and a kamikaze drone.
Seven houses and six outbuildings
were damaged, and a medical center
and gas pipeline were affected.
Fortunately, there were
no casualties or injuries.
A hostile UAV was also shot down."
"Ukraine
The Russian forces are launching
airstrikes on the Zaporizhzhia region,
specifically near the town of Stepnohirsk.
Ivan Fedorov, Chief of the Zaporizhzhia
Regional Military Administration,
announced this on Telegram."
Political Conflict
"Cote d'Ivoire
Ivory Coast will see French troops leave
the country this month, following other
African nations in reducing military
ties with their former colonizer.
President Alassane Ouattara announced
that the marine infantry battalion
stationed in Abidjan will be handed
over to Ivory Coast's armed forces.
This comes after Senegal, Chad, Mali,
Burkina Faso, and Niger also expelled
French soldiers from their soil."
"Gaza Strip
The IDF's Arabic-language spokesman,
Avichai Adraee, warned residents of
central Gaza's al-Bureij to evacuate
due to expected airstrikes after rockets
were fired from the area at midnight.
Adraee urged people to move to the
humanitarian zone for their own safety."
"Moldova
Russian company Gazprom has discontinued
its gas supplies to Moldova due to
Moldovagaz's alleged failure to pay bills.
The cutoff of gas supplies
coincides with the closure of the
transit route through Ukraine.
Gazprom claims that Moldovagaz owes
them $800 million in historic debts.
The loss of gas supplies to Transnistria,
which generates electricity using
Russian gas, was expected as no
alternative arrangements were made.
Moldova has already implemented a
state of emergency in the energy
sector to address the gas shortage."
"Ukraine
Russia's gas supply to Europe
via Ukraine ended on New Year's
Day due to the collapse of a
contract between the two countries.
The European Union has been seeking
alternative sources of energy to
reduce its dependence on Russian gas,
including liquefied natural gas (LNG)
from Qatar and the United States.
Gazprom, Russia's state-controlled gas
exporter, has recorded a $7 billion loss
despite efforts to boost exports to China.
Slovakia and Austria, the remaining
buyers of Russian gas via Ukraine,
have arranged alternative supply."
Civil Unrest
"Georgia
On Tuesday, tens of thousands of
pro-Europe protesters gathered
outside Georgia's parliament in
Tbilisi for the 34th consecutive day.
The demonstrators demanded the
release of all activists and
protesters detained during the
ongoing anti-government rallies.
The protests were sparked a month ago when
the ruling Georgian Dream party suspended
the country's EU membership bid."
"Israel
Relatives of Gaza hostages staged
a protest on the Ayalon Highway in
Tel Aviv, demanding the release of
their loved ones and a ceasefire.
They displayed a banner and images
of the captives, who were taken
by terrorists over 450 days ago."
"Pakistan
On Tuesday, a protest by the Majlis
Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM) party in
Karachi turned violent when police
used tear gas to disperse demonstrators
in the Numaish Chowrange area.
The protesters pelted police with stones
after the use of the gas, resulting in
the injury of several police officers.
Police also detained several
protesters for attacking the police.
MWM protests support Parachinar's sit-ins
for justice amid ongoing violence."
"Pakistan
Police deployed tear gas and baton
charges on local government employees
outside the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa
(K-P) Assembly building in Peshawar.
The protesters demanded the release
of municipal funds that the provincial
government has not provided."
"Serbia
On Tuesday night into Wednesday
morning, tens of thousands of
protesters, led by university students,
gathered in Belgrade and other
Serbian cities to demand political
reforms and justice in the country.
The protesters have been actively
demonstrating in the wake of the
tragic collapse of a concrete canopy
at the central train station in
the northern city of Novi Sad on
November 1, which claimed 15 lives.
The incident has been linked to
corruption and inferior construction
standards perpetuated by the Serbian
government's populist administration."
"Syria
Protesters in Syria held a sit-in
demanding justice for four activists
who were forcibly disappeared in 2013.
The fate of these
activists remains unknown.
The activists, including prominent
human rights lawyer Razan Zaitouneh,
were abducted by gunmen in Douma.
Zaitouneh was known for documenting
abuses by both the Assad
government and rebel groups."
"Turkey
On Wednesday, tens of thousands
of people protested at the Galata
Bridge in Istanbul to express
solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza."
Weapons
"Gaza Strip
The IDF announced that troops operating in
southern Gaza's Rafah have discovered and
destroyed a rocket manufacturing facility.
Reservists of the Kiryati Brigade,
who have been stationed in Rafah
for the past month, made the find.
The troops also found medium-to-long-range
rockets and other weapons at the site."
"India
On Tuesday, security forces recovered
a cache of weapons and ammunition
during an operation in the village
of Thongkhonglok, near Khunjarok
Nala in the Bishnupur district.
The caches included a Self-Loading Rifle
(SLR) with a magazine, a .303 Rifle,
a 12-bore Single Barrel Gun, two 9mm
Pistols with magazines, an Anti-Riot
Gun, two INSAS Light Machine Gun (LMG)
magazines, two INSAS Rifle magazines,
four hand grenades, a detonator,
anti-riot shells, and 22 12-bore rounds"
"India
Security forces recovered an arms cache
during an operation in the Leishangthem
Ikop Pat area of Thoubal district.
The cache included an Anti-Material
Rifle (AMR) Sniper modified with
a sight scope and magazine, two
Single Bolt-Action Rifles, three
country-made 9mm pistols, one No.
36 HE Handgrenade, four MK-13T hand
grenades, several empty shell casings,
a stun shell, tear smoke shell, tube
launcher, and 12-bore cartridges."
Cyber
"France
The internet sites of several French
cities and a department were inaccessible
due to hackers claiming retaliation
for French support for Ukraine.
Marseille and Tarbes were down, as well
as the department of Haute-Garonne.
The hackers, known as NoName,
also claimed DDoS attacks on
other cities and departments, but
those sites were still operating.
Nice's mayor confirmed the
city's website was targeted.
Marseille's town hall said
their servers were attacked,
making the sites inaccessible."
Accidents
"Italy
On Tuesday, a migrant boat en route to
Italy sank off the coast of Lampedusa.
Authorities reported that
rescuers saved seven migrants.
However, 20 individuals were missing."
"Turkey
On Wednesday, a small training aircraft
made a forced hard landing in the Cal
district of Denizli, injuring one person."
"United States
Early Wednesday morning, a small
plane carrying four people crashed
on a road outside the Naples Airport.
The passengers were
uninjured in the crash.
While the cause of the crash was unclear,
there was heavy fog at the time."
Thanks for joining us for the January
2, 2025 Geopolitical Report Daily.
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