In the bombed-out hulk of what appears to be a rail depot, “White” ground force commander Polygon sets his watch to a countdown of two hours, and presses start. Simultaneously, an ominous two-hour countdown clock appears in the upper right of the viewer’s…

The recent success of Somali government forces and their clan allies — backed by US operations and intelligence — was punctuated by the capture of the port of Haradhare on January 16, 2023. It was a significant symbolic victory for the Somali government as…

According to Indonesian police, at least 53 Indonesian civilians and security forces were killed in the Indonesian Papuan provinces, or West Papua, in 2022. At least 39 were civilians; another 37 people were injured. In 2021, 34 people were killed – around…

The Islamic State Khurasan Province (ISKP) released a 48-minute-long video titled “We Kill Those Whom You Protect!”.

US Vice President Kamala Harris traveled to the Philippines on November 21, 2022, to reaffirm America’s “commitment to the defense alliance with the Philippines” and discuss ways to strengthen economic ties. The White House released a statement reiterating…

Following the coup d’état against former Malian President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta in 2020, the transitional authorities led by Col. Assimi Goita and Col. Sadio Camara have aimed to strengthen the Malian armed forces, enabling them to operate independently…

During and after the war in Afghanistan, the weapons sent to the country to be used in the conflict spread rapidly to neighboring countries in South and Central Asia. This trend has security implications as Soviet and NATO weapons left over from the wars…

The Republika Srpska (RS) entity of Bosnia Herzegovina staged its annual ‘statehood day’ on January 9th. This year the parade took place in the Istočno neighbourhood of Sarajevo, which represents a major escalation in the posturing of the Bosnian Serb entity…

The New Formation

In early December, Turkey announced the arrest of two Islamic State (IS) militants accused of plotting an attack inside the country on New Year’s Eve.

The Russian Volunteer Corps (RDK), a far-right dissident paramilitary organization fighting within Ukraine’s ranks, claimed responsibility for the cross-border attack in the Bryansk region on March 2.

Russia’s Wagner Group has reportedly had a growing presence in the Central African Republic (CAR) since 2017. Although it officially denies this, if the numerous reports of its actions in the country are correct, Wagner and Russia have substantial financial…

On February 1, 2021, Myanmar’s military orchestrated a coup. The National League for Democracy’s (NLD) supermajority in the November 8, 2020 elections had scared the military; the unpopular pro-military party was routed. A few days before the coup, multiple…

Russia and Ukraine both use mostly Soviet-designed small arms and weapons systems. Before foreign military aid to Ukraine began arriving in significant quantities in 2022, Russia had more modern weapon systems in its inventory than Ukraine. However, with…

A recent rise in piracy in the Gulf of Guinea has prompted an increased international naval presence in the region. Although largely successful in addressing the threat to commercial shipping traffic on the high seas, the situation on land continues to worsen…

Though the Islamic State Khurasan Province (ISKP) remains somewhat limited in its operational capacity, the group has emerged as a prominent international media force. With the fall of the caliphate in Iraq and Syria, IS’s central media has scaled back its…

Two events took place this year off the coast of the Arabian Peninsula that highlight persistent maritime security issues in the waters near Yemen. In early January, it was reported that the US Navy intercepted a shipment of assault weapons that were en route…

In recent weeks, there has been a degree of renewed hope for a resolution to the Deep South conflict in Thailand. Malaysia appointed Zulkifli Zainal Abidin, a former military chief, as the facilitator for talks between the insurgent Barisan Revolusi Nasional

Security sources and residents in northeast Nigeria have reported deadly clashes between the country's two main Violent Extremist Organizations (VEOs), Boko Haram and the Islamic State of the West African Province (ISWAP), since around the middle of February…

Greece is an interesting (and arguably understudied) country to anyone in the security field. Its early 19th-century armed struggle for independence against the Ottoman Empire not only inspired a host of similar nationalist uprisings, but also captivated…