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Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• U.S., Coalition Continue Strikes Against ISIL in Syria, Iraq AFPS 16 Oct 2016 -- U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Syria and Iraq yesterday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.
• US Military Starts Shelling Daesh Positions in Iraqi Mosul Sputnik 16 Oct 2016 -- US military started on Saturday to shell positions of the Daesh in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, Turkish media reported, citing Kurdish sources.
• USS Mason Fired On Again Off The Yemeni Coast Sputnik 16 Oct 2016 -- US officials announced that two missiles have been fired at the USS Mason off the Yemeni coast late Saturday or early Sunday local time. This is the third attack on the ship this week.
• US again claims warship targeted by multiple Yemeni missiles Press TV 16 Oct 2016 -- A US official has claimed that Yemeni forces affiliated with the nation's leading Ansarullah movement have again targeted an American warship in the Red Sea with multiple missiles.
• US Destroyer Again Targeted by Missiles Off Coast of Yemen VOA 16 Oct 2016 -- A top U.S. admiral says a U.S. warship has again come under fire in the Red Sea from multiple cruise missiles fired from the coast of Yemen.
• Afghan Officials Claim Battlefield Advances in Lashkar Gah VOA 16 Oct 2016 -- Security forces in Afghanistan claim to have pushed the Taliban from parts of a key southern provincial capital and inflicted heavy casualties on the opposition as insurgent hostilities appear to have subsided in other conflict-hit provinces.
• UN: 370,000 Afghans Returned Home From Pakistan VOA 16 Oct 2016 -- The United Nations says around 370,000 registered and undocumented Afghan refugees have returned home from neighboring Pakistan this year, with a significant spike seen since mid-July.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Base Bluster: Doubts Cloud Russian Talk Of Far-Flung Military Outposts RFE/RL 16 Oct 2016 -- As ties between Moscow and Washington plunge to new lows over the conflict in Syria, official rhetoric and Russian media reports suggest the Kremlin is busily working behind the scenes to ramp up its global reach with military bases from the Caribbean to Southeast Asia.
• Germany's Purchase of Five New Warships Seen as 'Signal to Russia' Sputnik 16 Oct 2016 -- At least five Braunschweig class corvettes will enter service with the German navy in the next few years, in what can be seen as a signal to Russia, according to the newspaper Suddeutsche Zeitung.
• DPRK's test-launch of mid-range ballistic missile ends in failure People's Daily 16 Oct 2016 -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) had test-launched an intermediate-range ballistic missile, but it ended in a failure, Seoul's military said Sunday.
• North Korea missile launch fails at liftoff: US Press TV 16 Oct 2016 -- US military sources claim that North Korea has unsuccessfully fired an intermediate-range ballistic missile.
• Pentagon Reports Failed Missile Launch by N. Korea VOA 16 Oct 2016 -- South Korea has strongly condemned North Korea's latest missile launch attempt. The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement Sunday the launch was "a clear violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions" and an "illegal act of provocation."
• Iranian flotilla leaves for Port of Baku for the first time IRNA 16 Oct 2016 -- An Iranian flotilla carrying the message of peace and friendship left here Sunday for Port of Baku in the Republic of Azerbaijan.
• Iran Air Force to hold massive drills in central province Press TV 16 Oct 2016 -- The Islamic Republic of Iran's Air Force (IRIAF) is to hold massive three-day maneuvers in the central province of Isfahan.
• Iran's Navy fleet sets sail for Azerbaijan's Baku: Official Press TV 16 Oct 2016 -- A senior Iranian Navy official says a fleet, comprising a domestically-built destroyer and a missile-launching warship, has departed for Azerbaijan's port city of Baku on the Caspian Sea coast.
• Latvia Plans to Increase Defense Budget to $492.5Mln in 2017 Sputnik 16 Oct 2016 -- Latvia's defense budget is likely to increase up to 1.7 percent of the GDP or to 449 million euros ($492.5 million) in the year of 2017, which is 0.3 percent higher than this year, the Defense Ministry.
• Submarine exports to Pakistan officially confirmed People's Daily 16 Oct 2016 -- On Wednesday, China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation confirmed a project to export 8 attack submarines to Pakistan, China Shipbuilding Online reports. The corporation held a conference to discuss the details of the arrangement.

Defense Industry

Other Conflicts

• Yemen's Ansarullah urges intl. probe into Saudi strike on funeral Press TV 16 Oct 2016 -- Yemen's Houthi Ansarullah movement has called for an international probe into a recent Saudi airstrike on a funeral in the capital Sana'a that killed at least 140 people.
• Kerry: Road Map Urgently Needed to End Violence in Yemen VOA 16 Oct 2016 -- The United States, Britain and the U.N. peace envoy to Yemen called Sunday for the warring parties in the country to immediately and unconditionally declare a cease fire.
• Statement by Secretary of Defense Ash Carter on the Liberation of Dabiq DoD 16 Oct 2016
• Turkey's operations in Syria to continue until border region secured: FM Press TV 16 Oct 2016 -- Turkey says its operations in Syria will continue until the whole city of Manbij is liberated from Daesh.
• UK and US consider extra sanctions against Syria Press TV 16 Oct 2016 -- The United Kingdom and United States say they were considering more sanctions against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his supporters, and called on Russia and Iran to help end the 5-year conflict in the country.
• Putin criticizes France for not doing enough to solve Syria crisis Press TV 16 Oct 2016 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has criticized France for not contributing enough to international efforts to settle the crisis in Syria, saying Paris has not properly responded to Russia's calls for joint action on Syria.
• Turkey-backed militants seize Dabiq from Daesh Press TV 16 Oct 2016 -- Turkish-sponsored militants have reportedly taken control of a symbolically important town in Syria's northwestern province of Aleppo from the Takfiri Daesh terrorist group.
• Rebels In Syria Said To Have Captured IS Stronghold Of Dabiq RFE/RL 16 Oct 2016 -- Turkish-backed rebels have captured Syria's symbolically important town of Dabiq from the Islamic State (IS) extremist group, the rebels and monitors say.
• Kerry Visiting London For More Syria Crisis Talks RFE/RL 16 Oct 2016 -- U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is traveling to London on October 16 to discuss the civil war in Syria with Washington's European allies.
• US, Partners Mulling Syria, Russia Sanctions Over Aleppo VOA 16 Oct 2016 -- In a move reflecting frustration over new efforts for a cease-fire amid escalating human rights abuses in Syria, the United States says it is "considering additional sanctions" against President Bashar al-Assad and his Russian supporters, an action that could come in the next few weeks.
• IS Loses Control of Symbolic Syrian Border Village VOA 16 Oct 2016 -- Turkish-backed Syrian rebels have captured the symbolically important northern Syrian village of Dabiq from Islamic State militants.
• Statement by Secretary of Defense Ash Carter on Iraqi Announcement Regarding Mosul DoD 16 Oct 2016
• Iraqi PM Signals Start of Mosul Offensive VOA 16 Oct 2016 -- Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has announced the formal start of a military push to drive Islamic State extremists from the northern stronghold city of Mosul.
• Iraq drops leaflets over Mosul warning residents of looming battle Press TV 16 Oct 2016 -- The Iraqi Air Force has started to drop thousands of leaflets over Mosul, notifying residents of the looming offensive to retake the city from Daesh.
• Suicide Bomber Claims More Lives in Baghdad VOA 16 Oct 2016 -- A suicide bomber struck a Shi'ite Muslim religious observance Sunday in Baghdad, killing at least two people and wounding four.
• Afghan militants kill 2 Pakistani soldiers near border Press TV 16 Oct 2016 -- Militants from Afghanistan have killed two Pakistani soldiers and injured one more in cross-border fire.

News Reports

• Russia's Putin censures Washington for cyber attack threat Press TV 16 Oct 2016 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has taken Washington to task for its threats to launch a cyber attack against Moscow, saying that US cyber threat rhetoric does not correspond to the norms of international relations.
• Russia Criticizes 'Unprecedented' U.S. Threats Over Alleged Cyberattacks RFE/RL 16 Oct 2016 -- Russia has criticized the United States for what it has described as "unprecedented" threats over alleged cyberattacks.
• Europe cautions Turkey on post-coup crackdown Press TV 16 Oct 2016 -- The chief of Europe's top human rights body says Turkey should observe legal and human rights principles in the prosecution of people suspected of links to a failed July coup attempt in the country.
• Mexico Expects to Extradite 'El Chapo' to US in 2017 VOA 16 Oct 2016 -- A senior official in Mexico says jailed drug trafficker Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman could be extradited to the United States by no later than February.
• Kosovo Sees Drops in Foreign Fighters to Mideast VOA 16 Oct 2016 -- The number of fighters joining extremist groups in the Middle East from Kosovo, once the highest per capita in Europe, has come to a virtual halt, according to government officials, analysts, and ex-fighters.
• India's Modi blasts Pakistan for serving as 'mother-ship of terrorism' Press TV 16 Oct 2016 -- Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has stepped up his drive to isolate Pakistan by highlighting the country's role in sponsoring terrorism.
• China to launch Shenzhou-11 manned spacecraft on Oct. 17 People's Daily 16 Oct 2016 -- The Shenzhou-11 manned spacecraft will be launched at 7:30 a.m. Monday Beijing Time, China's manned space program spokesperson said Sunday.
• European Lander Starts Descent to Mars VOA 16 Oct 2016 -- A European Space Agency experimental probe is expected to land Wednesday on Mars, as part of a mission aimed at exploring the red planet's atmosphere and searching for signs of life.
• Crown prince asks Thais not to worry about succession People's Daily 16 Oct 2016 -- Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn has said that Thai people should not worry about the succession to the throne as it is specified by the constitution, the Palace Law and tradition.
• Regent to rule Thailand before new king Press TV 16 Oct 2016 -- Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha has announced that a regent will stand in as monarch until late King Bhumibol Adulyadej's son formally succeeds him.
• Kuwait's emir dissolves parliament, cabinet resigns Press TV 16 Oct 2016 -- Kuwait's Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah has issued a decree dissolving the parliament and setting the stage for snap elections.
• Montenegrins Voting In Election Billed As Russia Vs. West RFE/RL 16 Oct 2016 -- Montenegrins are voting in a parliamentary election that is being billed as a choice between Russia and the West.
• BRICS to Deepen Economic Engagement to Combat Terror VOA 16 Oct 2016 -- Amid fears of threats posed by protectionism, the BRICS countries have vowed to deepen economic engagement, tackle the global economic slowdown, and combat cross border terrorism.
• African Union signs landmark charter on maritime security People's Daily 16 Oct 2016 -- African leaders on Saturday signed a landmark charter that aims to preserve the continent's maritime security and safety.