Latest Articles about Military/Security

Moscow Downplays Drone Incursion on Poland
Executive Summary: Russia’s September 9–10 drone attack, when at least 19 decoy Gerbera drones entered Polish airspace, caused little physical damage but triggered a swift response, including operation “Eastern Sentry,” in a kinetic test of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) resolve. Moscow’s incursion occurred alongside... MORE

Ayaba Cho Lucas: Separatist Campaign Against Cameroon Devolves Into ‘War of Shame’
Executive Summary: Ayaba Cho Lucas, head of the Ambazonia Governing Council (AGovC), has led Cameroon’s nine-year anglophone separatist insurgency from exile in Europe. Advocating “eye for an eye” violence, Ayaba helped form the Ambazonian Defense Force (ADF), which, though lightly armed, has carried out kidnappings,... MORE

Hikmat al-Hijri: Druze Cleric Struggles Against Syrian Government
Executive Summary: In July 2025, heavy communal violence in Suwayda between Druze and Bedouin tribes escalated into open battles with Syrian government forces, leaving hundreds dead. The clashes marked the most serious confrontation yet between Druze fighters and the new regime under President Ahmed al-Sharaa.... MORE

Sa’ad bin Atef al-Awlaki: AQAP’s Most Wanted Leader
Executive Summary: Sa'ad bin Atef al-Awlaki was recently named head of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). An effective leader, al-Awlaki is expected to further entrench al-Qaeda in Yemen, while also positioning himself and AQAP as especially important contenders for leading affiliates within al-Qaeda. Little... MORE

Brief: Tuareg Separatists Intensify Attacks Against Russian Africa Corps
Executive Summary: The Azawad Liberation Front (FLA), a Tuareg separatist group formed in December 2024, has intensified attacks on the Malian Armed Forces (FAMa) and their Russian Africa Corps allies. As the FAMa and Africa Corps struggle to contain the insurgency, the FLA may position... MORE

A Briefer on Islamic State’s Activities Throughout Africa
Executive Summary: In the first half of 2025, Islamic State’s five African provinces conducted 565 attacks across nine countries, with a sharp rise tied to the launch of its “Burning Camps” campaign targeting military bases and camps at night. Islamic State (IS) also appears to... MORE

Kurdish PJAK Militants Brace for More Battles With Iran
Executive Summary: A July 19 Iranian drone strike killed a Free Life Party of Kurdistan (PJAK) fighter in Iraqi Kurdistan, prompting retaliatory attacks by PJAK in Iran’s Baneh and Sardasht regions and signaling a breakdown in the 2011 ceasefire. PJAK has emphasized it will not... MORE

The ‘Amshat’ and ‘Hamzat’: Turkey’s Militias Still Active in Syria
Executive Summary: The Sultan Suleiman Shah Division ("Amshat") and Hamza Division ("Hamzat") have resisted integration into Syria’s new military hierarchy post-Assad, maintaining direct financial and logistical ties to Turkey. The groups appear to be continuing to serve Ankara’s strategic interests, deploying them as a proxy... MORE

Western Sahara’s Polisario Movement: Manufacturing a Threat to Global Security?
Executive Summary: Founded in 1973, the Polisario Front remains a UN-recognized secular liberation movement seeking independence from Moroccan rule. U.S. legislators are considering labeling the Sahrawi independence movement a terrorist group, fueled by allegations of ties to Iran, Hezbollah, and global jihadist networks, despite a... MORE

Russian Foreign Ministry Journal Views Baltic as Irreversible Center of Military Conflict
Executive Summary: The Russian Foreign Ministry’s premier journal, International Life, says the Baltic Sea region has become “a potential theater of military conflict,” one where there is no chance that regimes more amenable to Moscow will arise in the absence of a radical shift in... MORE