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Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
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Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• Coalition Continues Attacks Against ISIL Terrorists in Syria, Iraq AFPS 26 Dec 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 Ignores Afghanistan Sending Foreign Donors' Money to Abusive Militia Leaders Sputnik 26 Dec 2016 -- US authorities ignored the fact that the Afghan national directorate of security (NDS) had been arming several groups across the country that used to violate human rights, according to the statement.
• Afghanistan Police Kill Top Taliban Commander in Ghazni Province Sputnik 26 Dec 2016 -- Mullah Firoz Jahadi, a senior Taliban commander was killed during an anti-terror operation in the country's central province of Ghazni, according to local media.
• China, Pakistan, Russia to Meet on Afghanistan, Angering Kabul Leaders VOA 26 Dec 2016 -- Top Foreign Ministry officials from China, Pakistan and Russia will meet in Moscow on Tuesday to review what they perceive as a "gradually growing" threat to their frontiers posed by Islamic State extremists in Afghanistan.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Russian Air Defense Units Hold Drills in Armenia Mountains - Defense Ministry Sputnik 26 Dec 2016 -- According to press service of the Southern Military District, Russian Air Defense Troops repelled a missile attack by a simulated enemy during a drill at a military base in Armenia.
• Russian Helicopters to Build Ka-226T at 2nd Plant to Speed Up Delivery to India Sputnik 26 Dec 2016 -- According to press release, Russian Helicopters company will launch the second production site for Ka-226T helicopters at its Ulan-Ude Aviation Plant to accelerate the assembly and delivery of the choppers to India.
• Russian Missile Cruiser Marshal Ustinov Back in Service After 5-Year Hiatus Sputnik 26 Dec 2016 -- The shipbuilding company Zvyozdochka said that Russian missile cruiser, Marshal Ustinov, is back in service after five years of extensive repairs.
• Japan to Keep Close Watch in the Pacific Over China's Lone Aircraft Carrier Sputnik 26 Dec 2016 -- Japan will closely monitor China's aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, which was spotted earlier in the Pacific, the Japanese government's top spokesman Yoshihide Suga said Monday.
• Aircraft carrier operations essential for China: expert People's Daily 26 Dec 2016 -- "Aircraft carrier operations are indispensable for China," said Chinese military expert Li Jie in an interview with the Global Times on Dec. 25. Carriers are not offshore forces, and they must go to remote oceanic areas, Li added, noting the country's growing need for overseas interests protection.
• China Tests New Prototype of 5th-Generation Stealth Fighter Sputnik 26 Dec 2016 -- China has successfully tested a homemade stealth fighter of the fifth generation called FC-31 Gyrfalcon, sources in the aviation industry told a local newspaper on Monday.
• Chinese aircraft carrier sails in waters south of Taiwan CNA 26 Dec 2016 -- China's first aircraft carrier sailed in waters south of Taiwan overnight with Taiwan's fighter jets and warships monitoring its movement and ready to respond, Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense (MND) said Monday.
• Taiwan monitoring China's first aircraft carrier drill CNA 26 Dec 2016 -- Taiwan has been monitoring China's first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, which was sailing in a southwesterly direction southeast of the Taiwan-held Dongsha islands in the South China Sea as of 2 p.m. Monday, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) said that day.
• US proposal for Taiwan military ties irks China Press TV 26 Dec 2016 -- China says it has filed "stern representations" with the United States over a bill newly signed by President Barack Obama that proposes military exchanges between the US and Taiwan.
• Beijing Slams Washington for Taiwan Content in US Defense Spending Bill Sputnik 26 Dec 2016 -- China expressed severe criticism over US President Barack Obama's signing defense policy bill, which includes the provision on cooperation with Taiwan, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying said.
• Defector: N Korea Planning More Nuke Tests, Wants Recognition as Nuclear Power Sputnik 26 Dec 2016 -- North Korea will want to schedule another nuclear test during South Korea's presidential race, a high-ranking defector says – and then to engage in international talks.
• India Successfully Tests Nuclear Capable Ballistic Missile Agni-V - Ministry Sputnik 26 Dec 2016 -- India carried out a test launch of Agni-V intercontinental ballistic missile from Abdul Kalam Island off the coast of the state of Odisha in the west of India, Defense Research Development Organization (DRDO) at the Indian Defense Ministry said Monday.
• India Tests Long-Range Nuclear Missile that Can Hit Targets in China VOA 26 Dec 2016 -- India has successfully carried out a fourth test of its nuclear-capable, intercontinental Agni-V missile, which can hit targets more than 5,000 kilometers away, effectively putting China's northernmost areas within range of Indian nuclear weapons.
• India Approves $45Mln Plan to Add Teeth to Elite Forces for Surgical Strikes Sputnik 26 Dec 2016 -- The limited availability of resources has diluted the combat capabilities of Indian Special Forces currently operating in different parts of the country. In anticipation of a limited war scenario, India has started modernizing its most elite forces.
• India to Equip Infantry Vehicles with Automatic NBC Systems Sputnik 26 Dec 2016 -- India is enhancing its protective capabilities following apprehensions of Pakistani deployment of nuclear capable Nasr missiles on their common border.
• Iranian Army launches air defense drill in south of country IRNA 26 Dec 2016 -- The first stage of the massive and joint air defense drill called 'Modafe'an-e Aseman-e Velayat 7' started in the presence of Commander of Khatam ol-Anbia Air Defense Base Brigadier General Farzad Esmaeili on Monday in South of country.
• Iran Army, IRGC hold joint air defense maneuvers Press TV 26 Dec 2016 -- The Iranian Army and the Aerospace Division of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) have started comprehensive joint air defense drills in the country's south.
• Takfirism threat to security of entire world: Iran defense minister Press TV 26 Dec 2016 -- Takfiri terrorism poses a threat to the security of all countries across the world, Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan says.
• Fake story prompts Pakistani threat of nuclear strike against Israel Press TV 26 Dec 2016 -- A fake Israeli threat of a nuclear attack against Pakistan has elicited a tacit but real Pakistani threat of an atomic strike against Israel.
• Ukrainian President Raises 2017 Defense Spending Sputnik 26 Dec 2016 -- Petro Poroshenko has signed the law on 2017 state budget of Ukraine, that envisages 3 percent deficit of national GDP and a raise in defense expenditures to 5.2 percent of GDP.
• CAR Gets First Building Block in New National Army VOA 26 Dec 2016 -- The Central African Republic is getting a New Year's present of sorts: trained soldiers, the first in what the government hopes will be a rebuilt national army.

Defense Industry

Other Conflicts

• Civilians Helping Governments Stake Claims in South China Sea VOA 26 Dec 2016 -- A statement from China that daily civilian charter flights would serve the contested sea off its south coast raises the growing profile of civilians as a tool for governments to bolster their claims in Asia's most widespread sovereignty dispute.
• Saudi jets intensify airstrikes on Yemen, use cluster bombs Press TV 26 Dec 2016 -- Saudi fighter jets have intensified their airstrikes against Yemeni provinces, using more internationally-banned arms in their latest raids.
• Turkey: 30 Civilians Killed in Northern Syria By Islamic State VOA 26 Dec 2016 -- An Islamic State attack in the Syrian town of al-Bab killed at least 30 civilian who were seeking to escape and wounded many others Sunday, the Turkish military said in a statement Monday.
• Syrian government forces kill 25 Daeshis in Homs Press TV 26 Dec 2016 -- Syrian government forces have killed over 25 Daesh Takfiri terrorists in Syria's western province of Homs.
• Mass graves containing dozens of tortured Syrians uncovered in Aleppo Press TV 26 Dec 2016 -- Russian troops have found a number of mass graves in the recently liberated Syrian city of Aleppo, which contained remains of bodies with signs of torture and mutilation at the hands of foreign-sponsored Takfiri terrorists.
• At least 30 civilians killed in Daesh attack on Syria's al-Bab: Turkey Press TV 26 Dec 2016 -- Turkey has blamed Daesh for the deaths of scores of civilians in the Syrian town of al-Bab, saying the people were killed as they were seeking to flee the flashpoint city which is encircled by the Turkish army and militants.
• Russia raps General Assembly resolution on Syria investigation Press TV 26 Dec 2016 -- Russia has blasted a recent UN General Assembly (UNGA) resolution mandating an "independent" institution funded by "voluntary donation" to assist investigation into alleged war crimes in Syria.
• Civilian bodies recovered from former militant jails in east Aleppo Press TV 26 Dec 2016 -- Amid clean-up operations in the recently-liberated areas of eastern Aleppo, Syrian forces have discovered the bodies of 21 civilians massacred in prisons previously run by the Takfiri militants.
• Turkey to Participate in Astana Talks on Syria as Guarantor Sputnik 26 Dec 2016 -- Turkey is advocating that the ceasefire in Aleppo to be implemented throughout Syria, according to a spokesman for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
• Over 116,000 Iraqis Currently Displaced Due to Operation to Liberate Mosul Sputnik 26 Dec 2016 -- 78 percent of the displaced families from Iraqi Mosul are currently in emergency camps, 12 percent are in private settings, 9 percent at emergency sites and 2 percent at critical shelter arrangements, according to the International Organization for Migration's (IOM).
• At Least Seven Iraqi Soldiers Killed in Clashes With Daesh in Mosul Sputnik 26 Dec 2016 -- Seven Iraqi servicemen were killed and four more were injured in the Tamim district of Mosul during a car-bomb attack and clashes between the government forces and the Daesh terrorists, according to media reports.
• Turkish Security Forces Detain 508 People in One Week in Anti-PKK Operations Sputnik 26 Dec 2016 -- Turkish security forces conducted 220 operations since December 19 and detained 508 people suspected to be "aiding and abetting" the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).
• Israel: US Behind UN 'Gang Up' on Settlement Vote VOA 26 Dec 2016 -- Israel is continuing its sharp rebuke of the United States over its decision not to veto a United Nations Security Council resolution calling for a halt to Israeli settlement-building.
• Netanyahu, US ambassador meet over UNSC rebuke of Israel Press TV 26 Dec 2016 -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US Ambassador to Israel Daniel Shapiro are said to have met late Sunday after the envoy was summoned in a sign of Tel Aviv's fury over Washington's abstention from a vote at the United Nations Security Council against illegal Israeli settlements.
• Israeli reporter offers proof of Mossad killing Tunisian drone expert Press TV 26 Dec 2016 -- An Israeli investigative reporter has offered proof that a Tunisian drone expert who worked for the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas was killed by Mossad.
• Ukraine's Fragile Cease-Fire Holds For Third Day Despite Violations RFE/RL 26 Dec 2016 -- A new cease-fire negotiated between Ukraine's government and Russia-backed separatists in the east held by a thread for a third day as both sides reported clashes near the strategic town of Debaltseve.
• Over 450 Ukrainian Servicemen Died in Donbass Operation in 2016 Sputnik 26 Dec 2016 -- The amount of combat casualties of Ukrainian servicemen in Donbass in 2016 amounted to 211, non-combat – to 256, according to official statement of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
• DR Congo troops kill 10 soldiers from Burundi who crossed border in hunt for rebels Press TV 26 Dec 2016 -- Armed forces in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) say they have killed 10 Burundian soldiers after they crossed the border from the neighboring country in hunt for rebels.
• Several injured as bomber attacks market in northeast Nigeria Press TV 26 Dec 2016 -- A number of people have been injured after a bomber attacked a cattle market in Nigeria's violence-plagued state of Borno.
• Christmas Attacks in Cameroon Underscore Continued Boko Haram Threat VOA 26 Dec 2016 -- The governor of the Far North region of Cameroon says a local self-defense group was able to prevent an attack by Boko Haram against Christians getting ready to celebrate Christmas, a sign that the militant group remains a danger in the region.

News Reports

• Russian military aircraft crashes in Black Sea, no sign of survivors People's Daily 26 Dec 2016 -- A Russian military Tu-154 aircraft crashed into the Black Sea on Sunday, presumably killing all 92 people aboard, said the Russian Defense Ministry.
• Russia Holds Day of Mourning For 92 Plane Crash Victims; 68 From Aleksandrov Ensemble Killed RFE/RL 26 Dec 2016 -- As Russia on December 26 began observing a national day of mourning for 92 people killed in a military plane crash, authorities revealed that many key members of Russia's official armed forces musical ensemble were among the dead.
• Search Teams Find Bodies, Debris From Russian Military Plane Crash RFE/RL 26 Dec 2016 -- Russian search teams have recovered bodies and debris from a military passenger jet that crashed minutes after taking off from the Black Sea coastal city of Sochi.
• No Evidence of Terror Attack on Tu-154 Plane - FSB Sputnik 26 Dec 2016 -- No evidence indicating that there was an act of terrorism on board of Russian Defense Ministry's Tu-154 aircraft has been found yet, Russia's FSB said Monday. Investigators are pursuing four leads in the deadly Russian military plane crash in the Black Sea, including technical malfunction and pilot error.
• Kremlin Rival Says He's Ready to Take On Russia's Putin VOA 26 Dec 2016 -- With all the attention on this year's American presidential elections, one could be forgiven for failing to notice: The race for the Kremlin in 2018 is now on.
• Signatory to USSR's Collapse Rejects Gorbachev, Putin Criticism VOA 26 Dec 2016 -- The man who hosted the meeting that ended the Soviet Union is proud to say he was first to sign the declaration, known as the Belavezha Accords, followed by Russia's Boris Yeltsin and Ukraine's Leonid Kravchuk.
• China Opens More Doors to Foreign Investors Ahead of Trump Presidency VOA 26 Dec 2016 -- A year after losing its status as the world's top destination for foreign investment, China is taking market-opening steps to make the country more appealing to investors; but, with a hostile new administration preparing to take office in Washington, analysts question whether the steps are too little and too late.
• China, Sao Tome and Principe resume diplomatic ties People's Daily 26 Dec 2016 -- China and Sao Tome and Principe resumed diplomatic relations in Beijing on Monday, after the west African nation cut "diplomatic ties" with Taiwan last week.
• Chinese Court Jails Ex-Deputy Sports Minister for 10.5 Years for Corruption Sputnik 26 Dec 2016 -- China's former Deputy Sports Minister Xiao Tian was sentenced for 10.5 for corruption during his time in various government jobs in 1997-2014, according to local media reports.
• Diplomacy not zero-sum game: official CNA 26 Dec 2016 -- The Presidential Office on Monday expressed deep regret and discontent after China and Sao Tome and Principe announced their resumption of diplomatic relations earlier that day, saying that "diplomacy is not a zero-sum game."
• Over 2,000 nationals abroad fighting alongside Takfiri militants: Saudi ministry Press TV 26 Dec 2016 -- Saudi Arabia's Interior Ministry has acknowledged that more than 2,000 of its citizens have traveled to other countries, including Syria, to join Takfiri militant groups.
• IS's Looming Death Could Be Hiding Bad News RFE/RL 26 Dec 2016 -- In 2014, the world was gripped by news of two deadly epidemics.
• India's Counter-Terrorism Body Arrests Daesh Militant Sputnik 26 Dec 2016 -- Daesh sympathizer, who was planning to carry out murders of foreigners in the India's city of Kolkata, was detained by the Indian National Investigation Agency.
• US Asks Visitors for Social Media Information VOA 26 Dec 2016 -- The U.S. government has started asking some foreign visitors to provide their social media account information as part of the effort to identify potential terrorists.
• India Sends 4,000 Troops to Reopen Highway Blocked by Protesters Sputnik 27 Dec 2016 -- India's central government sent 4,000 paramilitary personnel to the northwestern state of Manipur to reopen a highway connecting the state to its northern neighbor, Nagaland, and stop the violent protests the erection of the blockade had sparked.
• Dozens Killed as Political Tensions Rise in DRC VOA 26 Dec 2016 -- Dozens of civilians have been killed in the Democratic Republic of Congo over the weekend, stoking concerns about political instability.
• Macedonia's Political Crisis Could Continue Despite Early Vote RFE/RL 26 Dec 2016 -- Macedonia's two main political parties are each vowing to try to form the next government, potentially extending the Balkan country's political crisis, despite a parliamentary election and rerun of a potentially game-changing local vote that awarded victory to the country's long-ruling conservatives.
• Turkish police detain top opposition HDP official in Ankara Press TV 26 Dec 2016 -- Turkish security forces have arrested a high-ranking official of the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) over an investigation related to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) militant group as Ankara presses ahead with a massive clampdown on members of the opposition party.
• Turkey detains 1,682 for questioning over links to failed coup, militants Press TV 26 Dec 2016 -- Hundreds of people have been detained for questioning by Turkish authorities in the course of last week over suspected links to opposition leader Fethullah Gulen as well as militant groups.
• Iran's Currency Fall Sparks Concerns, Criticism RFE/RL 26 Dec 2016 -- Iran's currency fell to an unofficial record low against the U.S. dollar on December 26, extending a dramatic drop in the rial's value in recent months that has prompted concerns about the country's economy.
• UK councils abused laws to spy on Brits for 5 years: Report Press TV 26 Dec 2016 -- Councils across the UK have abused a law to carry out an extensive spying program on unsuspecting citizens a period of five years, a new report shows.
• UK Local Authorities Revealed Spying on Citizens for 5 Years Sputnik 26 Dec 2016 -- UK local authorities have been spying on public via listening devices, cameras and private detectives for five years, media reported.
• Outgoing UN chief reclaims top spot in S.Korean presidential polls People's Daily 26 Dec 2016 -- Ban Ki-moon, outgoing UN Secretary General, whose second five-year term is set to end by the end of this year, reclaimed the top spot in recent South Korean presidential polls, local survey showed on Monday.
• Top Park Aides' Homes Raided by South Korean Special Prosecutors Sputnik 26 Dec 2016 -- South Korean special prosecutors raided the homes of top aides to President Park Geun-hye as part of their investigation into the scandal that has already seen Park impeached.
• Belarus' Post-Soviet Economy: Tractors to World of Tanks VOA 26 Dec 2016 -- Throughout the former Soviet Union, Belarus was famous for making tractors at the state-run Minsk Tractor Works, which this year celebrated its 70th anniversary.