ISDEI Instituto de Seguridad, Defensa y Estudios Internacionales

Take cover in a sturdy building or get underground. That’s the emergency advice given to people in Japan in the event of a North Korean missile strike. But there are two big problems: most Japanese homes are made of wood and lack a basement. In the countryside, there is often no building made of concrete. And with only a matter of minutes from launch to impact, there’s simply no time to take cover. As North Korea this week fired its second missile over Japan in less than a month and threatened to “sink” the country into the sea with nuclear weapons, many Japanese feel a sense of helplessness in the face of the threat from Pyongyang. Sushi chef Isamu Oya, 67, who runs a restaurant in the small fishing town of Erimo, right under the flight path of Friday’s missile, summed up the feelings of many. “The government told us to take cover in a stable building or underground, but there isn’t one here. We have no choice but just do nothing. “Scary? Yes, but we can’t hel

On September 15, Jaysh Usud al-Islam militant group announced its defection from Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). In an official statement, Jaysh Usud al-Islam accused HTS of “disrespecting the blood of Muslims and the Mujahedeen”. Moreover, Jaysh Usud al-Islam accused HTS of conspiring to attack other Islamic armed group, in a clear hint to the Ahrar al-Sham Movement. Click to see the full-size image Jaysh Usud al-Islam also said that HTS disrespected religious scholars, and this proves that the HTS leaks was behind the Jaysh Usud al-Islam decision to leave HTS. Jaysh Usud al-Islam was one of the armed groups that formed HTS back in January 28 along with  the Nour al-Din al-Zenki Movement  and  Jaysh al-Ahrar  which defected earlier for the same reasons. Meanwhile, another Saudi religious scholar of HTS was assassinated in Idlib governorate. Suraqah al-Maki was targeted by unknown gunmen inside Idlib city on September 15. Click to see the full-size image Al-Maki is the

Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, commander of the Aerospace Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), announced that the IRGC had successfully penetrated the US Army command centers in Syria and Iraq, according to a report of  the Russian state-run media outlet RT Arabic . Brig. Gen. Hajizadeh allegedly said that the IRGC is now seeing everything that’s going on inside the US Army command centers. Moreover, Brig. Gen. Hajizadeh said that the whole world will witness a great scandal if the IRGC reveales the info it collected. Brig. Gen. Hajizadeh didn’t clarify if the IRGC penetrated the US Army centers by recruiting human assets in the centers. Or if the IRGC technically hacked some systems. According to the report, Brig. Gen. Hajizadeh also revealed that the Aerospace Force of the IRGC developed a heavy bomb with a warhead that weights 10ton. Brig. Gen. Hajizadeh said that the heavy bomb is called “the father of all bombs”. Brig. Gen. Hajizadeh said that

On September 14, Sayyid Abdul-Malik Badreddin al-Houthi leader of Ansar Allah Movement – Known as the Houthis –  threatened to target the UAE capital Abu Dubai  in a live speech on the Yemeni al-Masirah news TV channel. Sayyid al-Houthi said that the UAE is now within the range of Houthis missiles. “All companies (working) in the UAE should no longer see it as safe,” Sayyid al-Houthi said. Sayyid al-Houthi revealed that his forces conducted a “successful” test of a new missile that could reach the Abu Dhabi city 600km away.  On August 30,  Yemeni sources speculated that Houthis launched a ballistic missile on the UAE capital Abu Dhabi . Only now it is confirmed that the Houthis could have these capabilities. UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash responded to Sayyid al-Houthi threats on Twitter and said that his country is not intimidated by Houthi threats. “ The Houthis’ comments threatening the UAE and its capital are tangible proof of the need for the

FILE (AP Photos/Allauddin Khan, File) On Thursday,  the Taliban captured Qarai, Chakna, Balai Bam and Jawdana villages in Qaysar district of Faryab province  in northern Afghanistan, according to the Taliban news agency Voice of Jihad. Voice of Jihad also announced that an Afghan Army soldiers was killed and 3 others were injured in the attack on the villages. Moreover,  the Taliban attacked Borghan Bala and Borghan Payan areas and a strategic checkpoint in Faryab province.  Voice of Jihad said that clashes in the newly captured areas were ongoing. Two Afghan soldiers were injured in the clashes. Meanwhile,  Taliban fighters attacked two checkpoints of the Afghan Army and Police in Arghandab district of Kandahar Province  in southern Afghanistan. 3 Afghan soldiers were killed and 2 others were injured in the attack according to Voice of Jihad. In a related development, Afghan officials announced that  17 Taliban fighters were killed during a joint air and ground operations

The ISIS-linked news agency Amaq has released a photo report showing an ambush of Egyptian military column by ISIS members in Northern Sinai.  ISIS members attacked the column on September 11.  18 Egyptian service members were killed and 5 others were wounded in the attack. 3 ISIS militants were also killed in the clashes.   

FILE IMAGE The US and Russia rejected an Israeli request to prevent the presence of any Iranian forces or Iranian-backed militias near the Israeli border as a part of the ceasefire agreement in south Syria,  the Israeli Haaretz newspaper reported  on Thursday. According to the report,  Israel demanded to create a 60-80km wide buffer zone inside Syria against Iranian-backed forces.  The supposed buffer zone would spread from the Golan Heights to the west of the Damascus-al-Suwayda highway in southwestern Syria. Israel proposed its idea to Russia and the US during the talks that preceded the cease-fire agreement in southern Syria. According to the report,  Russia refused the Israeli proposal, while the US didn’t back it for real mostly. However, Russia promised Israel that the Iranians and their allies will not move any closer to Israel than five kilometers in the areas held by the Syrian government. The report noted that no Iranian presence was notified on the frontline with

Late on Thursday, the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) captured Al-Husseiniyeh town along the eastern bank of the Euphrates river north of Deir Ezzor city. With this advance ISIS was fully besieged in the  area along the Euphrates River between the southern Raqqa countryside and the northwestern Deir Ezzor countryside. Click to see the full-size map The SDF will likely continue its advance northwest and southeast of Deir Ezzor city along the eastern bank of the river. Pro-government sources believe that no less than 1000 will-armed ISIS fighters are now trapped in the created Euphrates Valley pocket. Meanwhile, the ISIS-linked news agency Amaq claimed that 120 civilians including 100 child were killed in an airstrike by the US-led collation on a refugee camp near the village of Jadid A’akidat in the eastern Deir Ezzor countryside. Amaq claims are yet to be confirmed by any other side. Amaq also claimed that ISIS fighters destroyed two vehicles of the Syrian Arab Ar