JNIM condemns the bombing of the market in the village of Toumouni, east of Dogofry, Segou region in central Mali yesterday, interestingly JNIM claims the Malian army used two suicide drones, unclear what type but it's unusual for the Malian army to be using those. pic.twitter.com/AjukPjHrQK
JNIM condemns the bombing of the market in the village of Toumouni, east of Dogofry, Segou region in central Mali yesterday, interestingly JNIM claims the Malian army used two suicide drones, unclear what type but it's unusual for the Malian army to be using those.
#ALERT: Al-Shabaab Imposes New Travel Restrictions on Coastal Route to Cadale in Apparent Move to Isolate the District
Al-Shabaab militants have imposed strict new directives on vehicles traveling from Mogadishu to the Middle Shabelle region and onward through Galgaduud toward…
Al-Shabaab militants have imposed strict new directives on vehicles traveling from Mogadishu to the Middle Shabelle region and onward through Galgaduud toward Mudug, significantly altering transport routes in central Somalia.
The affected vehicles, which previously used the coastal road—particularly through the Cadale district—have been ordered not to proceed beyond Ceel Macaan. Instead, they are required to divert inland toward the Jiiro Cisalleey area, a remote and sparsely populated zone.
The motive behind the move remains unclear. However, analysts and local sources suggest the restrictions may be part of an effort by Al-Shabaab militants to impose a blockade on the Cadale district or that the militants may be planning to launch large-scale attacks on the town.
◉ With support from the SPLM-N, RSF militia entered the village of kega, located at the crossroads between Kadugli and Dilling, cutting the road between the two cities.
◉ The militia and their ally the SPLM-N, have been subjected to continuous airstrikes… pic.twitter.com/NVhLqvXvJu
… The Sudan People's Liberation Movement–North is a political party and militant organization in Sudan based in the states of Blue Nile and South Kordofan, split off from the SPLM when South Sudan won independence, and then into two armed forces (SPLA–N (al-Hilu) and SPLA–N (Agar)). al-Hilu is fighting with the RSF — formerly known as the Janjaweed — while Agar is fighting alongside the Sudanese Army, so it’s nice to see they all have principles, whatever they are. They sound communist, but claim to be secular liberal democrats, and are against Arab persecution of Black Africans, which is all very high minded…
RSF militia entered the village of kega, located at the crossroads between Kadugli and Dilling, cutting the road between the two cities.
◉ The militia and their ally the SPLM-N, have been subjected to continuous airstrikes during their movements, which are expected to continue, potentially targeting the crossroads area.
◉ Meanwhile, the 14th Infantry Division and the 55th Infantry Brigade in Kadugli have maintained logistical coordination with the 54th Infantry Brigade in Dilling to prevent the road from being cut. However, recent developments in West Kordofan following the fall of Babanosa and Al-Fashir may lead to changes in their operational strategy in the coming days.
IS-Sahel conducted an IED attack this morning against a joint patrol of the Russian Africa Corps and the Malian army near the city of Menaka, northern Mali, reportedly killing and injuring five soldiers and mercenaries. pic.twitter.com/632K4VjgeO
EXCLUSIVE: How Army troops of OPHK arrest two suicide bombers in connection to Maiduguri Mosque attack
By: Zagazola Makama
Troops of Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK) have recorded a major operational success in Borno and Yobe states with the arrest of two suspected suicide bombers… pic.twitter.com/xOpPTwBkfr
EXCLUSIVE: How Army troops of OPHK arrest two suicide bombers in connection to Maiduguri Mosque attack
By Zagazola Makama
Troops of Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK) have recorded a major operational success in Borno and Yobe states with the arrest of two suspected suicide bombers and the disruption of critical logistics networks sustaining Boko Haram terror activities.
One of the suspects was apprehended in Banki town during joint operations and intelligence-led patrols by troops deployed under the Joint Task Force North East (JTF NE), while the second was earlier arrested in Damaturu, Yobe State, in connection with the Dec. 24 suicide bomb attack at the Gamboru Market Mosque.
Zagazola report that the attack was part of the coordinated plans by Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (JAS),
…Boko Haram…
Ansaru and Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) elements to execute suicide bombings and improvised explosive device (IED) attacks across parts of the North-East zone.
It was gathered that a Boko Haram team led by a notorious IED expert, Munzir Abu Ziyadah, allegedly prepared up to 10 person-borne improvised explosive device (PBIED) attacks from the Ali Ngulde camp axis.
Read the rest at the link No reason why they can't still be suicide bombers out in the bush somewhere.
[TWZ] MQ-9s are now flying armed with as many as 10 Hellfires amid reports that a CIA drone was responsible for the first strike in Venezuela.
Over the past week or so, U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drones have been spotted carrying increasingly greater numbers of AGM-114 Hellfire missiles on sorties from Puerto Rico. This includes at least one Reaper seen armed with 10 Hellfires, a loadout that does not previously appear to have been disclosed as being an option for these drones. This all now comes amid reports that it was the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) that recently carried out a first-of-its-kind covert strike on a target in Venezuela using an unspecified drone.
The unusually large Hellfire loads are the latest in a series of changes in U.S. force posture in the region that go well beyond simply bolstering support to the U.S. military’s ostensibly expanded counter-drug operations. Readers can first get up to speed on this and other recent developments in the Caribbean in our recent reporting here.
CNN was first to report yesterday that a CIA-directed drone strike targeted what has been described as a “port facility” and a “dock” somewhere along Venezuela’s coast sometime earlier this month, citing anonymous sources. The site is said to have been used by the Tren de Aragua criminal organization, which the U.S. government designated as a terrorist organization earlier this year, to smuggle drugs. The New York Times has also now reported that the CIA led this operation, per its own unnamed sources. TWZ has previously highlighted ports and other logistical nodes as among the likely first rungs in a kinetic escalation ladder for operations inside Venezuela.
President Donald Trump had first mentioned the strike publicly in a phone call with WABC radio in New York last Friday. He brought it up again while speaking to the press yesterday alongside visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The President did not say in either case who had carried out the mission. Back in October, Trump said he had authorized the CIA to conduct covert operations inside Venezuela.
When it comes to U.S. MQ-9s in the region, Reapers have been operating from Rafael Hernandez Airport in Aguadilla in Puerto Rico since September. They have generally been seen carrying between two and four AGM-114 Hellfire missiles at a time, as well as range-extending fuel tanks and pods, the latter of which we will come back to later on. This is a very typical combat loadout that has been seen on Reapers operating globally in the past.
However, between December 21 and December 24, MQ-9s started being seen flying from Aguadilla armed with six, eight, and then a whopping 10 AGM-114s. Local spotter Michael Bonet has shared some images of Reapers operating from the airport with larger Hellfire loadouts, seen earlier in this story and below, directly with TWZ.
It’s that time of year, when the harvest if jihadis is particularly heavy,
[IsraelTimes] Dutch police have arrested a 29-year-old Syrian man they suspect of being a member of Islamic State and planning an attack somewhere in Europe, prosecutors say, based on the man’s social media posts.
The prosecutors say the intelligence agency AIVD had found social media posts in which the man threatened to commit an attack at an unspecified place in Europe around Christmas.
They did not elaborate on the suspected planned attack or on their suspicions that the man was a member of Islamic State.
The man was arrested on December 18 in his house in Vlissingen in the southwest of the Netherlands, and a court rules today that his detention will be extended by at least 30 days as an investigation continues.
[Rudaw] The Sick Man of EuropeTurkey ...a NATO ...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. A single organization with differing goals, equipment, language, doctrine, and structure.... member, but not the most reliable... on Tuesday arrested 357 suspected Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear western pols talk they're not really Moslems.... (ISIS) members in simultaneous operations across 21 provinces, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said.
"This morning, in 21 provinces, we apprehended 357 suspected ISIS members in simultaneous operations conducted by our police," Yerlikaya said in a post on X.
He said multiple security agencies were involved in the nationwide operations that were carried out in the cities of Adana, Agri, Ankara, Antalya, Bingol (Cewlig in Kurdish), Corum, Denizli, Erzincan, Gaziantep (Dilok), Giresun, Istanbul, Kastamonu, Kilis, Konya, Mugla, Nigde, Osmaniye, Sanliurfa (Riha), Sirnak, Yalova, and Van.
"Just as we have never given opportunities to those trying to bring this homeland to its knees through terrorism up to this day, we will never give them opportunities in the future either," the interior minister said.
The arrests come a day after three Ottoman Turkishcoppers were killed and nine others maimed during an anti-ISIS operation in the northwestern city of Yalova, where six ISIS members were also killed in the confrontation, according to Turkey’s state-run Anadolu Agency.
ISIS members are frequently arrested in counterterrorism operations across Turkey.
At the Painda Khel,Bannu, Counter Terrorism Department forces came face to face with TTP Kharji militants. The clash involved heavy weapons, with drones being used during the operation, causing intense sounds of gunfire across the area.
At the Painda Khel,Bannu, Counter Terrorism Department forces came face to face with TTP Kharji militants. The clash involved heavy weapons, with drones being used during the operation, causing intense sounds of gunfire across the area.
During the confrontation, TTP deliberately used the local civilian population as human shields, forcibly pulling women and children out of their homes to obstruct security operations. This tactic once again exposes TTP’s brutality and complete disregard for innocent lives, as they attempt to survive by hiding behind civilians instead of facing security forces directly.
🚨 #Breaking Today, a group calling itself Ittehad-ul-Mujahideen Pakistan (I.M.P) claimed that Pakistani military forces were moving near the Bakhmali pump area in Domel, Bannu district, with the intention of conducting an operation. According to the group, the forces… pic.twitter.com/LBlg3nBJWA
🚨 #Breaking
Today, a group calling itself Ittehad-ul-Mujahideen Pakistan (I.M.P)
…in April of this year they announced themselves as the unification of Hafiz Gul Bahadur Group — formerly naib amir of TTP, but he separated due to a rivalry with the Mehsuds and his refusal to attack the Pakistani state — Lashkar-e-Islam, also formerly part of TTP, and Harkat Inqilab-e-Islami Pakistain (HIIP). In June alone they executed 77 attacks in the Pakistani Tribal Districts at the north end of the country along the Afghan border, killing 125 soldiers…
claimed that Pakistani military forces were moving near the Bakhmali pump area in Domel, Bannu district, with the intention of conducting an operation.
According to the group, the forces encountered resistance on the Sada Khel main road.
The group alleged that two Pakistani soldiers were killed and that a military vehicle sustained damage during the incident.
It further claimed that the operation was unsuccessful and that the forces withdrew from the area.
[IsraelTimes] A tear gas canister fired by Israeli troops during a raid of the central West Bank village of Aboud sparked a fire in a Palestinian home, briefly trapping an elderly woman inside.
The IDF says soldiers fired the tear gas to break up a demonstration that had broken out during the raid, which had included the hurling of stones at troops.
The army in a statement acknowledges that the fire was likely caused by its tear gas canister, adding that Palestinian firefighters managed to evacuate the building of all inhabitants.
Several suffered from smoke inhalation, including the elderly woman who was rushed to the hospital for treatment, Palestinian media reports.
The moral of the story is: Don’t ram Israelis and you won’t get shot.
[IsraelTimes] The Palestinian Red Crescent Society says three people are hospitalized in serious condition after the IDF opened fire at their car between the villages of Urif and Einabus south of Nablus.
The fourth passenger, who was killed, is identified by the Palestinian Authority as Qays Allan, 20. Allan’s body is still being held by Israeli forces, according to the PA’s General Authority of Civil Affairs.
The IDF said earlier that forces killed a Palestinian who tried to carry out a ramming attack against troops.
The IDF statement did not mention other people being in the vehicle with the suspected assailant. No troops were injured, according to the military.
Palestinian media reports that the vehicle rolled over and caught fire as a result of the IDF gunfire. Footage from the scene shows the flames.
[Rudaw] The US military said on Tuesday it killed at least seven Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear western pols talk they're not really Moslems.... (ISIS) suspects and captured others in Syria during a series of operations carried out with its "partners" over nine days, following a deadly attack on US troops that Washington has blamed on the Death Eater group.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) said it and "partners across Syria killed at least seven ISIS members and captured the remainder during 11 missions conducted Dec. 20—29." The operations also resulted in the destruction of four ISIS weapons caches.
CENTCOM, which oversees US troops in the Middle East, did not mention the names of parties involved in the operations. The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) had been the only on-the-ground ally of the US-led global coalition against ISIS in Syria until Damascus joined the coalition last month.
"In 2025, ISIS inspired at least 11 plots or attacks against targets in the United States. In response, U.S. and partner forces in Syria have conducted operations during the last 12 months that resulted in more than 300 forces of Evil being detained and over 20 killed," CEMTCOM said on Tuesday.
Posted by: trailing wife ||
12/31/2025 2025-12-31 03:37 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[1766 views]
Top|| File under: Islamic State
[AnNahar] Syrian authorities imposed an overnight curfew in the coastal city of Latakia on Tuesday after attacks in predominantly Alawite neighborhoods a day prior.
Authorities announced a "curfew in Latakia city, effective from 5:00pm (1400 GMT) on Tuesday, December 30, 2025, until 6:00am (0300 GMT) on Wednesday, December 31, 2025".
Individuals attacked Alawite-majority neighborhoods on Monday, damaging cars and vandalizing shops. The attacks came a day after three people were killed during mass protests by the minority community that followed a bombing in Homs.
One of them was a member of Syria’s security forces, according to a security source.
Syrian authorities said on Monday forces “reinforced their deployment in a number of neighborhoods in the city of Latakia, as part of measures taken to monitor the situation on the ground, enhance security and stability, and ensure the safety of citizens and property.”
Latakia, a mixed city in Syria’s Alawite coastal heartland, also has several Sunni-majority neighborhoods.
Syrian authorities arrest 21 people linked to ‘former regime’ in Latakia
[IsraelTimes] Authorities in Syria’s Latakia province arrest 21 people allegedly linked to ousted leader Bashar al-Assad’s rule, state media reports, after sectarian attacks rocked predominantly Alawite neighborhoods of the provincial capital last night.
State television says security forces in the coastal province arrested 21 “former regime remnants who are involved in criminal acts, sectarian incitement and targeting internal security forces.”
Syrian authorities imposed an overnight curfew on Latakia city after yesterday’s attacks.
[IsraelTimes] A video of a protester sitting in the street and facing down police on motorbikes during demonstrations that erupted in Tehran in recent days has gone viral on social media, with some observers calling it Iran’s “Tiananmen moment.”
Protesters, including shopkeepers and university students, have been rallying against economic hardship in Iran since Sunday.
The viral footage shows a person sitting cross-legged on the road with their head bowed before more than 20 police officers on motorbikes, wearing helmets and dressed all in black. Behind the protester, a crowd runs to escape clouds of tear gas, the footage shows.
A video shared with Iran International showed one protester sitting in the middle of a street in Tehran and refusing to move as motorbike-riding security forces moved in on demonstrators. pic.twitter.com/uic3kBOoPv
Some internet users compare the person to the man who faced a column of tanks in Beijing during the deadly Tiananmen Square crackdown in 1989, following demonstrations demanding greater political freedoms.
An AFP investigation found that the Iranian video was posted on social media at around 1330 GMT yesterday, day two of the protests that began at Tehran’s largest mobile phone market before spreading. AFP was able to confirm that the video was shot on Jomhouri Avenue in central Tehran, near the mobile phone shopping center.
The video and screenshots of the scene have since garnered thousands of likes on Instagram and other social media networks.
The region is watching closely to see what would-be hegemon Iran does.
[KhaamaPress] Protests in Iran entered a third day as demonstrators across major cities shut shops, rallied publicly, and chanted “Death to the dictator” over economic hardship.
On the third day of nationwide protests, Iranian shopkeepers shut down businesses and held demonstrations in cities including Tehran, Isfahan, Ahvaz, Shiraz, Kermanshah, and Najafabad. Protesters chanted anti-government slogans such as “Death to the dictator” and “Death to the principle of velayat-e faqih.”
Demonstrators also voiced economic and political grievances, chanting “Neither Gaza nor Lebanon, my life for Iran” and “Death to this inflation, we march until overthrow.” Some crowds openly expressed nostalgia for the monarchy, chanting slogans praising Reza Shah.
The strike began on Sunday in response to a sharp depreciation of the Iranian rial and worsening economic conditions. On Tuesday, the U.S. dollar surged past 124,000 tomans, marking a new historic low for Iran’s currency.
According to Iran’s Central Bank, the official exchange rate at the currency and gold exchange center exceeded 124,140 tomans per dollar. The rial has been on a steady downward trend for months, but the latest spike represents an unprecedented collapse.
Rapid currency depreciation has fueled soaring inflation, officially reported at over 42 percent annually. Prices of basic goods, including food and medicine, have risen sharply, intensifying public anger and economic hardship.
Iranian bazaars have historically played a central role in political movements, including the 1979 revolution. Shopkeeper strikes are widely viewed as a powerful symbol of economic protest and social resistance.
Iran’s economy continues to struggle under international sanctions, mismanagement, and declining oil revenues, leaving the government with limited options to stabilize the currency or control inflation.
As protests spread, security forces were deployed across major cities. Reports indicate heavy security presence in central Tehran, Mashhad, Gorgan, and other urban areas, with videos showing live fire directed at protesters in parts of the capital.
International reactions have intensified, with foreign officials condemning the use of force against demonstrators and voicing support for Iranian protesters. Analysts say sustained unrest could further strain Tehran’s political stability and global standing.
“Demonstrations took place in Tehran at the universities of Beheshti, Khajeh Nasir, Sharif, Amir Kabir, Science and Culture, and Science and Technology, as well as the Isfahan University of Technology,” reports Ilna, a news agency affiliated with the labour movement.
Iran’s government said earlier it would seek dialogue with protest leaders after demonstrations in Tehran and other cities over a plunge in the currency’s value that has accelerated inflation, with the central bank chief resigning.
Protests, which included shopkeepers in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar, were held on Sunday and Monday according to Iranian state media, the latest demonstrations in the Islamic Republic, where bouts of unrest have repeatedly erupted in recent years.
President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a social media post late on Monday that he had asked the interior minister to listen to “legitimate demands” of protesters. Government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani said a dialogue mechanism would be set up and include talks with protest leaders.
“We officially recognize the protests… We hear their voices and we know that this originates from natural pressure arising from the pressure on people’s livelihoods,” she says today in comments carried by state media.
The Iranian rial has been falling as the economy has suffered from the impact of Western sanctions, sinking to a record low on Monday at around 1,390,000 to the US dollar, according to websites monitoring open market rates.
“We have fundamental measures on the agenda to reform the monetary and banking system and maintain the purchasing power of the people,” Pezeshkian posted on X.
🚨#BreakingNews The SDF responded firmly to suicide drone attacks in the vicinity of Tishreen Dam
carried out by armed factions backed by Turkey and affiliated with the Damascus government, namely Sultan Murad, Sultan Suleiman Shah (Al-Amshat), and Al-Hamzat.
The SDF responded firmly to suicide drone attacks in the vicinity of Tishreen Dam carried out by armed factions backed by Turkey and affiliated with the Damascus government, namely Sultan Murad, Sultan Suleiman Shah (Al-Amshat), and Al-Hamzat.
The attacks caused no casualties, while our forces struck the launch sources, resulting in confirmed injuries among the attackers.
The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said on Tuesday that they responded to two attacks by Damascus-affiliated forces near Tishreen Dam in northern Syria.
Labeling the development as a "dangerous escalation," the SDF blamed The Sick Man of Europe Turkey ...the occupiers of Greek Asia Minor... -backed gangs for the attack which they said targeted a residential area near the strategic dam at 11 am. Two suicide drones were used in the attack but they did not cause any casualties among SDF forces.
"At exactly 4:00 pm. the same day, the same factions resumed their attacks, targeting the Syriatel hill in the vicinity of Tishreen Dam with two additional suicide drones, again without causing any injuries," added the SDF.
The SDF targeted a "military vehicle" in response to the attacks which resulted in "confirmed casualties among their ranks."
The Kurdish-led force on Monday said that three of their fighters were maimed as a result of an attack by Damascus-affiliated forces at the dam.
The dam, located southeast of Manbij city on the Euphrates River, was constructed in 1999 and is one of Syria’s largest in terms of production and capacity. It generates electricity and once provided power to much of the Kurdish-held northeast Syria (Rojava).
Syrian militia groups have launched sporadic attacks on the structure since November, seeking to control the dam for easier access into other areas held by the SDF. The attacks have dramatically decreased since SDF chief Mazloum Abdi and Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa signed a landmark agreement in March, which includes a nationwide ceasefire and the integration of all civil and military institutions in Rojava into the Syrian state.
The terrorist group Islamic State has claimed 13 attacks in 7 countries over the past week. Here are the details:
Sahel:
13 dead and wounded among the Nigerien army after an ambush in the Dosso region in Niger
Iraq:
5 wounded among the Iraqi army and tribal forces during 2 IED ambushes in the Salah-ad-Din and Anbar regions
Syria:
One SDF militiaman assassinated, 2 tanker trucks and one oil well destroyed after 4 distinct operations in the Deir ez-Zor region. The group reports that the militiaman was targeted for his participation in the famous Battle of Baghuz where Kurdish and Arab militias had captured the last territory of the "Caliphate" with the support of the coalition's air forces.
Central Africa:
3 Congolese and Ugandan soldiers wounded after an ambush in Ituri province.
Mozambique:
2 "Christian fighters" executed and a naval patrol of the army repelled during 3 operations in the Cabo Delgado region
West Africa:
2 dead among the Cameroonian army and a Nigerian militia during 2 attacks carried out in the Borno region in Nigeria and Maroua in Cameroon.
Posted by: badanov ||
12/31/2025 00:00 ||
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[1836 views]
Top|| File under: Islamic State
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling 
...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling 
...the occupiers of Greek Asia Minor...
