ISDEI Instituto de Seguridad, Defensa y Estudios Internacionales

Click to see the full-size image The US-led coalition requested Russia for a help to clear the Homs desert and parts of Euphrates Valley from ISIS, but Russia refused to assist the US-backed force, the Syrian pro-opposition news outlet Hammurabi’s Justice News reported on January 4. According to the report, the US-led coalition shared coordinates of several ISIS positions in the Homs desert and the Euphrates Valley with Russia. ISIS allegedly attacked the US-led coalition base in the al-Tanaf area near the Syrian-Iraqi border from these positions. However, Russia didn’t only refuse to attack ISIS positions, but also refused to allow the US to bomb them because they were besieged by the Syrian Arab Army (SAA), according to Hammurabi’s Justice News. The news outlet went on, and criticized Russia for “no being serious about fighting ISIS”. Click to see the full-size image An officer of the US-led coalition told Hammurabi’s Justice News that the Russian response to their re

Illustrative image On January 4, Major General Wanis Boukhamada, a special forces commander of the Libyan Nation Army (LNA), said in an interview to the Libyan TV that the LNA’s next mission will be the battle for the city of Derna located in northeastern Libya. Maj. Gen. Boukhamada revealed the LNA special forces will take part in the Derna battle aimed at capturing the city from the Shura Council of Mujahedeen in Derna. The general also called on Derna’s civilians to find a peaceful solution to expel the Derna Mujahedeen from the city before the start of the battle. “The Special Forces will deploy all of its personnel and equipment in the Derna area to deal with extremists and terrorists in the city… Our people in Derna, if you have a certain way to negotiate with the terrorist group controlling the city and using civilians as human shields, and to reach an agreement with them… so they will withdraw from the city and leave it in peace… We will welcome that,” Maj. Gen. Boukh

Since taking office, President Donald J. Trump has said repeatedly that China could be, and should be, doing more to rein in its unruly neighbor North Korea from developing nuclear weapons. Turns out the president was more right than even he could have imagined. Long before Trump took office, the U.S. intelligence community was well aware that China, as North Korea’s sole recognized ally, provided the regime with much of what it needed to sustain itself. There are a number of reasons for Beijing’s assistance, the first and foremost being that it’s in China’s best interests to keep the North Korean regime intact and in control. Besides, a collapse of North Korea would create a flood of refugees into China and set up a U.S. ally on its borders — neither of which is acceptable to the ruling Communist Party. But a newly disclosed document drawn up by the party shows that China, while publicly claiming to support U.N.-imposed, U.S.-backed economic sanctions against Pyongyang, is

Click to see the full-size image On January 3, a unit of the al-Qaeda-affiliated Somalian group al-Shabaab crossed the border into Kenya and attacked a vehicle of the Kenyan Police in the northeastern Mandera county on the Kenyan-Somali border, according to Reuters. Daniel Bundotich, the deputy country commissioner for Mandera South, told Reuters that four Kenyan policemen and a civilian were killed in the al-Shabaab cross-border attack. Bundotich added that al-Shabaab fighters destroyed a vehicle of the Kenyan Police during the attack. “The militants also set on fire a police lorry … The police officers were on patrol along Elwak-Kutolo when they were ambushed,” Bundotich told Reuters. Lately, the al-Shabaab group launched dozens of attacks against the Kenyan Police from its positions in the areas of El Adde, Busar and Cows Qurun in southwestern Somalia near the Kenyan-Somali border. Reuters said that dozens of Kenyan policemen were killed in these attacks. Map By: Po

An Israeli Air Force F-15 fighter jet flies during an aerial demonstration. (photo credit: AMIR COHEN – REUTERS) Last night, the Israeli Air Force conducted airstrikes on what it described as “major terror infrastructure” in the Gaza Strip. “ In response to the 3 rockets fired at southern Israeli communities throughout yesterday from Gaza, IAF fighter jets targeted a significant terror infrastructure in the Gaza Strip ,” the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement. “The IDF will continue and will proceed with all the tools at its disposal above and below the ground to thwart attempts to harm Israeli citizens. We are prepared and ready for a range of scenarios and we will act against every attempt to violate Israeli sovereignty.” According to reports, southern Israel was shelled with 3 rockets on January 3. However, mortars and rockets caused no damage or injuries. The shelling hit Eshkol Regional Council located close to the Gaza border fence. Reports also emerged

The  “huge story”,  as Graticule’s Adam Levinson called it,  will, it appears, be a  “wake up call” for the West  that seems to happily be ignoring this  potential bombshell that is China’s looming launch of domestic oil futures trading. Additionally, Levison warns Washington  that besides serving as a hedging tool for Chinese companies, the contract will aid a broader Chinese government agenda of increasing the use of the yuan in trade settlement… and thus  the acceleration of de-dollarization and the rise of the Petro-Yuan. “I don’t think there’s any doubt we’re going to see use of the renminbi in reserves go up substantially” China has been planning this for a number of years  and given rising tensions, now seems like a good time for China to flex a little. The Shanghai International Energy Exchange, a unit of Shanghai Futures Exchange, will be known by the acronym INE and  will allow Chinese buyers to lock in oil prices and pay in local currency.  Also, foreign traders w

A screenshot from the video Yemeni forces have seized a US-made REMUS 600 autonomous underwater vehicle belonging to the Saudi Navy, according to pro-Houthi sources. The vehicle was seized inside the Yemeni territorial waters in the Red Sea. The REMUS 600 is often used to detect sea mines and to conduct reconnaissance in coast waters.

Illustrative image An intense fighting between government forces and Ahrar al-Sham is ongoing in the Armoured Vehicle Base area in Damascus’ Eastern Ghouta. The base is located near the town of Harasta. Ahrar al-Sham, supported by some units of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, launched a new offensive on positions of the Syrian Army in the area on December 29. Since then, the sides have been clashing for control over this strategic facility. The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) had repelled a major part of militant attacks and remained in control over the base. However, militants were able to capture some points in its vicinity. Some pro-militant media outlets even claimed that the base was fully encircled and separated from the rest of the government-held area. However, these reports were not confirmed. On January 1, reports appeared that the Syrian military had decided to deploy reinforcements to the area in order to stabilize the situation there. It’s important to note that Ahrar al-Sham r