ISDEI Instituto de Seguridad, Defensa y Estudios Internacionales

Written and produced by  SF Team : Brian Kalman, Daniel Deiss, Edwin Watson China has begun construction of the first Type 075 Class Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD). Construction most likely started in January or February of this year, with some satellite imagery and digital photos appearing online of at least one pre-fabricated hull cell. The Type 075 will be the largest amphibious warfare vessel in the Peoples’ Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), with similar displacement and dimensions as the U.S. Navy  Wasp  Class LHD. The PLA has also made it known that the force plans to expand the current PLA Marine Corps from 20,000 personnel to 100,000. As China completes preparations for its new military base in Djibouti, located in the strategic Horn of Africa, it has also continued its substantial investment in developing the port of Gwadar, Pakistan. Not only will Gwadar become a key logistics hub as part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and the “One Belt, One Road” trade initia

FILE IMAGE On Saturday, Taliban fighters captured two checkpoints of the Afghan Army in Pashtun Kot district of Faryab Province in northern Afghanistan following a long siege on them, according to the Taliban news agency Voice of Jihad. Voice of Jihad also announced that the Said district of Faryab Province is now under the full Taliban control after its members have captured 5 checkpoints of the Afghan Army and Police in Surkhab and Karez areas in Said district. Moreover, Voice of Jihad announced that Taliban fighters attacked a checkpoint of the Afghan Army in Badghis Province in northwestern Afghanistan. 5 Afghan soldiers including a commander, Abdul Manan, were killed and 5 others were captured by the Taliban during the attack. The northern and northeastern areas of Afghanistan have been witnessing attacks by the Taliban lately. However, so far, the Afghan Army and NATO have not taken any real measures to slow down the Taliban advance in these areas. In a separated dev

Russian troops are in Deir Ezzor. A RT video screenshot On Saturday, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and its allies captured Muraieiah area and all of its farms south of Deir Ezzor airport, according to the Hezbollah media wing in Syria. The source also said that the SAA killed dozens of ISIS fighters and destroyed many armored vehicles of ISIS during its advance. Click to see the full-size map The Hezbollah media wing also reported that the SAA captured al-Kurdiah hill in al-Jafrah area east of Deir Ezzor airport. According to the Hezbollah media wing ISIS fighters are now fleeing towards Saqar Island. Government forces are at oil facilities near Deir Ezzor city: Pro-government sources also claimed that the SAA captured Abu Omar village south of Muraieiah area. Abu Omar village is located 25km north of ISIS stronghold al-Mayadin city in the southeastern Deir Ezzor countryside. However, these claims are yet to be confirmed. North of Deir Ezzor city the SAA and its allies

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