ISDEI Instituto de Seguridad, Defensa y Estudios Internacionales

Illustrative image On December 25, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) reportedly acheived another strategic victory in the coutnryside of Damascus. According to pro-government sources, units of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (formerly Jabhat al-Nusra, the Syrian branch of al-Qaeda) and other armed groups operating in the Beit Jinn pocket accepted a withdrawal agreement and declared their readiness to surrender their positions to the SAA. Negotiations between the local militants and the SAA started in the pocket last week  after government forces had cut off the road between Beit Jinn and Maghar al-Mir and entered the village of Maghar al-Mir itself. If the surrender of militants in the Beit Jinn pocket is confirmed, this will be a major vicory for the Syrian military that eliminates one of the few remaining militant-held pockets in the Damascus countryside and secure and this important area near the Golan Heights. Click to see the full-size map

This map provides a general look at the military situation in Yemen after  the recent advances of Saudi-led forces against the Houthis and their allies in the western part of the country. Click to see the full-size map

Click to see the full-size image During the Qatari National Day parade on December 18, the Qatari Army revealed its newly acquired Chinese-made SY-400 missile systems. The Qatari-Chinese deal was not announced beofre and its unknown when exactly Qatar received the advanced missile system. Photos from the Qatari National Day parade showed that each of the Qatari SY-400 systems was armed with two BP-12A solid-fueled short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs), that have the range of 300-400km, and 480 high explosive warheads. The BP-12A SRBM is guided by an Internal Navigation System (INS) that’s aided by a satellite navigation system. Click to see the full-size image The SY-400 can be also armed with up to eight SY-400 missiles, that have the range of 180km. The SY-400 is also guided by INS and a satellite navigation system. The SY-400 can also carry up to twelve PH-03 heavy rockets that have the range of 90km. However, it’s unknown if Qatar bought these rockets too, or only BP

Major General Ali Alqahtani Major General Ali Alqahtani, who was detained in November as part of the Saudi ‘anti-corruption crackdown’, has reportedly died under torture, the London-based newspaper Al-Quds Al-Arabi reported. According to the report, Major General Alqahtani was a member of the royal guard forces and the manager of the private office of Prince Turki Bin Abdullah, the son of former king Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz. He and many other high profile persons were held at the Ritz Carlton. Alqahtani allegedly died on 12 December after being tortured with electric shocks. Furthermore, the newspaper said that his family struggled to recognise him after receiving his body. In November, reports appeared that Saudi princes and billionaire businessmen arrested in the crackdown were tortured by by US private security contractors hired by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.  MORE DETAILS ON THE ISSUE HERE

Illustrative image On December 22, 121 fighters of the Ahrar al-Sham Movement from the town of Daar al-Kabira the northern Homs countryside laid down their arms and surrendered to the Syrian Arab Army (SAA), according to the Russian Reconciliation Centre in Syria. The Reconciliation Centre said that the fighters agreed to surrender after a joint work between its officers and the Syrian National Reconciliation Committee. The center added that its field commanders continue to negotiate with commanders of different Syrian oppositions groups in the provinces of Aleppo, Damascus, Homs, Hama and al-Quneitra to extend the ceasefire agreement in Syria. The northern Homs countryside is one of the de-escalation zones that has been established in Syria. However, the de-escalation agreement there has been breached many times by a coalition of the Ahrar al-Sham Movement, Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and several US-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA) groups. Ahrar al-Sham fighters likely surren

Written by  Shelley Kasli ; Originally appeared at  GGI News Just days after GreatGameIndia exposed how  American and Japanese companies could be hacking Indian elections , a recent  Bloomberg report  has revealed how a secret unit of Facebook has helped create troll armies for governments around the world including India for digital propaganda to influence elections. Under fire for Facebook Inc.’s role as a platform for political propaganda, co-founder Mark Zuckerberg has punched back, saying his mission is above partisanship. But Facebook, it turns out, is no bystander in global politics. What he hasn’t said is that his company actively works with political parties and leaders including those who use the platform to stifle opposition—sometimes with the aid of “ troll armies ” that spread misinformation and extremist ideologies. The initiative is run by a little-known Facebook global government and politics team led from Washington by Katie Harbath, a former Republican digital

A screenshot from the video ISIS has released a video showing a direct anti-tank guided missile strike at a helicopter in a military airport near the town of Arish in Egypt’s North Sinai. On December 19, the Egyptian military announced that an officer was killed and two people were injured as a result of the terrorist shelling in the area. The incident took place during a visit of the interior and defense ministers of Egypt to the military airport. Some sources speculated that the helicopter was assigned to them. However, neither minister was killed or injured in the attack. Video Player 00:00 00:33

Sputnik/ Genady Dubovoy Forces of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) and the Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR) are ready to counter a possible offensive of the Ukrainian Army in the region of Donbass,  according to statements of the republic’s leadership. Earlier military spokesmen of the both LPR and DPR reported that the situation had escalated at a contact line between the republic’s forces and the Ukrainian Army. Eduard Barusin, Deputy Defence Minister and defence spokesman of the DPR, told the Russian TV channel Zvezda that 20-40 Ukrainian shells hit the DPR area every day. The shelling causes civilian casualties and damages the property. However, according to local sources, the situation on the frontline remains relatively calm and no notable clashes have been reported recently.