Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• Taliban Kill 3 Soldiers in Attack on Checkpoints in Eastern Afghanistan - Official Sputnik 03 May 2020 -- Three Afghan soldiers were killed and five others injured overnight in a gunfight with Taliban militants in the eastern Afghan province of Paktia, a spokesman for the governor told Sputnik on Sunday.

Defense Policy / Programs

• KFOR Regional Command East Maneuver Battalion maintain crowd and riot control capabilities Army News 03 May 2020 -- Since 1999, following the adoption of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244, the NATO-led Kosovo Force mission has focused on the safety, security and freedom of movement for all the people of Kosovo.
• US deploys 4 B-1 bombers, 200 troops to Guam for China 'deterrence' Press TV 03 May 2020 -- The US military has deployed four B-1B heavy bombers and hundreds of troops to its western pacific territory of Guam to carry out "deterrence missions" aimed at Beijing after days of provocative maneuvers near contested territory in the South China Sea.
• Too risky to come home, crew of 'clean' US warship in coronavirus limbo Press TV 03 May 2020 -- On any given day, the US aircraft carrier Harry S. Truman can be found off the Atlantic coast of the United States, probably somewhere between Virginia and Florida. Its crew would love to come home to their families. But they can't. They're just too valuable right now.
• A-10 continues operations after engineers assess battlefield repair US Air Force 03 May 2020 -- An A-10 Thunderbolt II damaged in a deployed location was quickly returned to service after a remote engineering assessment, while disbursed in response to COVID-19.
• Small Military Plane Crashes in Bolivia Killing Six on Board Sputnik 03 May 2020 -- The accident claimed the lives of two crew members and four Spanish passengers who were supposed to be repatriated due to the COVID-19 outbreak in the country.
• 6 Die in Plane Crash in Bolivia VOA 03 May 2020 -- A Bolivian air force plane crashed in the Amazonian region shortly after takeoff Saturday afternoon, killing all those on board.
• Four more test positive in Navy Panshi cluster CNA 03 May 2020 -- Four military personnel from a COVID-19 infection cluster on board the Navy's Panshi Fast Combat Support Ship tested positive on Sunday, as a result of which the ship's crew will remain in quarantine, according to the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC).
• Over 700 naval personnel complete COVID-19 quarantine CNA 03 May 2020 -- Over 700 navy personnel quarantined because of a cluster COVID-19 coronavirus infection on board a naval ship, could be released Monday morning pending final test results, according to Taiwan's Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC).
• Taiwan military vessels to be equipped with COVID-19 tests CNA 03 May 2020 -- Taiwan's military vessels will soon be equipped with quick Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) tests, a method for rapidly diagnosing COVID-19, to prevent cluster spreading of the coronavirus, Health Minister Chen Shih-chung (陳時中) said Sunday.

Defense Industry

Other Conflicts

• Yemen can meet own needs if Saudi-led blockade removed: Ambassador Press TV 03 May 2020 -- Yemen's Ambassador to Iran says his country does not need international aid and can fend for itself in case the naval and air blockade imposed by the Saudi-led coalition waging a bloody military onslaught against the impoverished nation is lifted.
• Russian forces block US convoy in northeast Syria as tensions rise Press TV 03 May 2020 -- Russian military police units in Syria's northeastern province of Hasakah have reportedly prevented a US convoy from entering a strategic city, amid escalation between the two sides over freedom of movement in the mainly Kurdish-inhabited region.
• Syrian Troops Demine Hundreds of Hectares of Land in Bid to Rebuild War-Torn Nation Sputnik 03 May 2020 -- Damascus has estimated that it will cost between $200 and $400 billion to rebuild the infrastructure damaged or destroyed during the foreign-backed-civil war which kicked off in 2011. It remains unclear where the money will come from, as the US and its Syrian Kurdish militia allies have taken control of much of Syria's oil-rich eastern territories.
• Syria strongly denounces Israel's plan for annexing occupied West Bank Press TV 03 May 2020 -- Syria has strongly lambasted Israel's plan for annexing much of the occupied West Bank and roundly rejected statements by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to grab more Palestinian lands in the occupied region.
• Trump tells Netanyahu not to cherry-pick 'deal of century' Press TV 03 May 2020 -- US President Donald Trump has reportedly told Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu to accept a recently announced "peace plan" as one package.
• Gunshots fired from DPRK hit S.Korean guard post: South Korea military Global Times 03 May 2020 -- Multiple gunshots fired from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) hit a South Korean guard post in the inter-Korean border, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said Sunday.
• Inter-Korean tensions: Cross-border fire exchanged a day after Kim's reemergence Press TV 03 May 2020 -- North and South Korea have exchanged gunfire on the border in a new wave of tensions that broke out shortly after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un showed up, ending a much-discussed weeks-long absence from the public eye.
• South Korea Says Gunshots Fired From North at Guard Post in Demilitarised Zone - Reports Sputnik 03 May 2020 -- Multiple gunshots have been fired from North Korea, hitting a South Korean guard post inside the Korean Demilitarised Zone (DMZ), the South Korean Yonhap News Agency reports, citing the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).
• North, South Korea Exchange Fire in DMZ; No Casualties Reported VOA 03 May 2020 -- North Korea fired multiple gunshots that struck a South Korean guard post in the heavily fortified border region separating the two countries, Seoul's military said Sunday.
• Fierce gun battles leave 9 dead in India-controlled Kashmir Press TV 03 May 2020 -- Five security personnel and four suspected militants have been killed during two separate fierce gun battles over the past 24 hours in Indian-controlled Kashmir.
• At Least 7 Injured in Blast Near Site of Counter-Terror Operation in Handwara, Kashmir Sputnik 03 May 2020 -- Earlier in the day, five security personnel were killed by terrorists in Handwara, a town in India's Jammu and Kashmir union territory. India has accused Pakistan of instigating terror activities in Kashmir; Pakistan has denied the charges and insisted the local Kashmiris are fighting for their independence.
• Five Security Personnel, Two Terrorists Killed in Kashmir Sputnik 03 May 2020 -- Terrorist activities have been increasing in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir for the last one month. Police data suggests that at least 17 terror incidents took place in April alone, in which 29 terrorists were killed while 11 security personnel also lost their lives.

News Reports

• Venezuela says foils marine incursion by terrorists, kills 8 assailants Press TV 03 May 2020 -- Venezuela says its security forces have foiled a marine incursion by purported "terrorist mercenaries" who sought to enter the South American country using speedboats from neighboring Colombia, killing eight of the assailants.
• Venezuelan Military on High Alert After Foiling Boat Invasion Sputnik 03 May 2020 -- The Venezuelan military was on a heightened level of alert on Sunday after foiling a pre-dawn boat attack by armed men, described by the government as Colombian militants.
• Venezuela Foils Attack by 'Terrorist Mercenaries' VOA 03 May 2020 -- Venezuelan officials said Sunday they foiled an attack by boats through the port city of La Guaira.
• Venezuela Reports Attempted Naval Invasion by Mercenaries From Colombia - Photos, Videos Sputnik 03 May 2020 -- Venezuela and Colombia have had strained relations for years, with Caracas accusing Bogota of financing and otherwise supporting political forces seeking to overthrow the Maduro government.
• Russia To Adjust Spending On Putin's 'National Projects' As Economy Hit By Coronavirus RFE/RL 03 May 2020 -- Russia may alter spending plans for a series of national goals promoted by President Vladimir Putin two years ago as the spread of the coronavirus slashes budget revenues.
• Chinese central govt's liaison office in Hong Kong slams foreign lies, interference in internal affairs Global Times 03 May 2020 -- The Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administration Region (HKSAR) on Sunday expressed strong condemnation and firm opposition to Western anti-China politicians and the US-based National Democratic Institute of International Affairs over their unscrupulous interference in China 's internal affairs related to Hong Kong, and maliciously discrediting the " one country, two systems" policy.
• Europe 'Naive' About China Amid 'Existential' Crisis Spawned by COVID-19, Claims EU Diplomatic Chief Sputnik 03 May 2020 -- Amid the continuing spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, top European Union diplomat Josep Borrell acknowledged that China had tried to pressure the EU into watering down a coronavirus disinformation report, claiming China's actions were "normal diplomacy"
• Taiwan sent letter to WHO, has yet to receive reply: health ministry CNA 03 May 2020 -- Taiwan's Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) recently sent a letter to the World Health Organization (WHO) asking to participate in the upcoming World Health Assembly (WHA), but has yet to receive a reply, an MOHW official said Sunday.
• Taiwan thanks global supporters, blasts China over WHO remarks CNA 03 May 2020 -- Taiwan's representative office in Geneva on Saturday expressed gratitude to countries that have voiced support for its participation in World Health Organization (WHO) events, following a statement by China reiterating its long-held stance that Taiwan is part of its territory.
• China should not squash Taiwan's aspirations to play global role: KMT CNA 03 May 2020 -- Taiwan's opposition Kuomintang (KMT) has called for policymakers in Beijing not to ignore the aspirations of Taiwanese people to participate in the international community because of political disagreements.
• Taiwan reduced dependence on China long before pandemic: economists CNA 03 May 2020 -- Taiwanese businesses had already started to reduce their dependence on China before the ongoing COVID-19 conoravirus pandemic, because of trade friction and growing uncertainty about the future of globalization, economists said.
• Berlin Hostel Allegedly Owned by North Korea to Close 'Permanently' After Order From German Court Sputnik 03 May 2020 -- The North Korean government is rumoured to have a network of fronts across Europe which syphon funds to the government from unknowing customers. Any business secretly serving as a cash cow for Pyongyang is said by US and German authorities to be a violation of international sanctions.
• Seoul Disagrees With Speculation that Kim Jong-un Had Surgery - Reports Sputnik 03 May 2020 -- The North Korean leader was conspicuously absent from public functions for most of the month of April, prompting rumours about his well-being. However, the DPRK chairman recently made his first recent public appearance after the long absence, seemingly in good health and spirits, negating direr earlier speculations.
• Mark on Kim Jong-un's Arm a Possible Sign of Heart Surgery, Medical Experts Claim Sputnik 03 May 2020 -- According to North Korean state media, the country's leader has appeared in public for the first time in weeks after a smattering of unconfirmed reports that he was on the brink of death after a failed heart surgery.
• Iran Statistical Center Claims Unemployment Dipped Last Year Radio Farda 03 May 2020 -- The Statistical Center of Iran (SCI) claims that the unemployment rate in 2019 decreased by about 1.5 percent compared with 2018 and went down to 10.7 percent.
• JCPOA to die forever if expiry of arms embargo not observed: Senior official IRNA 03 May 2020 -- The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action will die forever if the expiry of arms embargo on Iran not be respected, Secretary of Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani said on Sunday.
• US' double-standard game with JCPOA not justifiable by any criterion ISNA 03 May 2020 -- Iran's ambassador to France Bahram Qassemi stressed that the US' roguish and double-standard game with the JCPOA is not justifiable by any logic and criterion.
• US attempts to establish itself as JCPOA participant have no legal grounds: Iran ISNA 03 May 2020 -- Ambassador and permanent representative of Iran to the International Organizations in Vienna, Kazem Gharib-Abadi stressed that the US attempts to establish itself as the JCPOA participant have no legal grounds.
• JCPOA to be destroyed forever by extension of Iran's arm embargo: Shamkhani ISNA 03 May 2020 -- Iran's secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, Ali Shamkhani stressed that the 2015 nuclear deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) will be destroyed forever by circumventing the UNSC's 2231 Resolution and extension of Iran's arm embargo.
• Iran's warning: Nuclear deal will die forever if arms ban extended Press TV 03 May 2020 -- Iran's top security official has warned that the 2015 nuclear deal will "die forever" if Security Council Resolution 2231 that endorsed the accord is circumvented and a UN arms ban on Tehran is renewed.
• Iran Nuclear Deal Will 'Die Forever' If US Uses 'Sanctions Virus' to Extend Arms Embargo – Tehran Sputnik 03 May 2020 -- The Trump administration has been searching for options to try to extend the United Nations ban on the sale of conventional weapons to Iran beyond October, proposing sanctions and even considering making the argument that the US is still effectively a party to the Iran nuclear deal, despite its decision to walk out of the agreement in 2018.
• Israeli Court Hears Petitions against Netanyahu Forming Gov't While Under Indictment for Corruption Sputnik 03 May 2020 -- Benjamin Netanyahu was indicted earlier this year on charges of accepting bribes, fraud and breach of trust. Israel's longest serving prime minister has denied any wrongdoing, claiming he is the victim of a politically motivated "witch hunt".
• Israeli Court Hears Petitions Against Netanyahu VOA 03 May 2020 -- Israel's Supreme Court began hearing petitions against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu forming a government while under criminal indictments.
• Fencing border with Iran a strategic priority for Pakistan IRNA 03 May 2020 -- Pakistan's Ministry of Defence has sought US $ 188 million from the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) for the second phase of fencing of border with Iran saying the project has become a strategic priority to be initiated at the earliest, report said.
• Finance Minister: The Kingdom Has Taken Firm and Quick Measures to Maintain Human Safety SPA 03 May 2020 -- The Minister of Finance and Acting Minister of Economy and Planning, Mohammed bin Abdullah Al-Jadaan, confirmed that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has faced this crisis from a position of strength. The Kingdom has taken several steps during the past several years, based on Saudi Vision 2030 and on the wise leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince to diversify the economy, a journey that began four years ago, and has many years left to go. The Kingdom have also taken steps in relation to public finance controls and controlling the budget deficit. And we witnessed great positive results at the end of 2019.