A major assault by al-Qaeda militants targeted the 1st Logistics Support Brigade base of the Southern Transitional Council (STC) in al-Mahfad district, Abyan province. The attack left four STC fighters dead and 14 wounded. Parts of the base and the local government building were also damaged.
This report, based on the 2022 U.S. National Security Strategy, analyzes how America’s updated security policies influence its military presence and interventions worldwide—especially in West Asia. These policies aim to reduce direct and large-scale U.S. military deployments, favoring limited operations conducted with and through regional partners and groups. From now on, the central theme of U.S. actions will be a “denial strategy.”
In a powerful address to Iranian sports champions and international Olympiad medalists, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei responded to recent remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump and condemned American policies in the region.
The Israeli military confirmed that two soldiers from the 932nd Battalion of the Nahal Brigade were killed and three others wounded during a Hamas assault on Israeli positions in southern Gaza, near Salah al-Din Road in southeastern Rafah.
Israeli military operations continue in the provinces of Rif Dimashq and Quneitra under the silent watch of the Jolani administration.
On October 17, unidentified armed individuals assassinated Hisham Khazami in the Al-Furqan neighborhood of Aleppo. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack so far.
The ancient city of Palmyra, located in eastern Homs province, witnessed the presence of U.S. military forces on October 17. According to local sources, American troops conducted a field visit to the city and its historic fortress without coordination with the Syrian army.
In the latest issue (No. 517) of its weekly publication Al-Naba, ISIS published an infographic summarizing its activities over the past 70 days in eastern Syria.
According to unofficial sources, the Cameroon-flagged vessel MV Falcon—carrying Iranian liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) destined for Ras Isa port in Yemen’s Al Hudaydah province—was reportedly struck near the Yemeni coast. The ship had loaded its cargo at Iran’s Asaluyeh port on September 25 and was en route to Ras Isa.
An explosion struck an Israeli military engineering vehicle in Rafah. As a result, one Israeli soldier was killed and three others were injured. Following the incident, three Israeli helicopters landed in Rafah to evacuate the wounded to medical facilities.
Following a round of negotiations in Doha, the defense ministers of the Taliban government and Pakistan reached an immediate ceasefire agreement.
Border clashes between the Pakistani military and Afghan Taliban fighters erupted on October 9, beginning with Pakistani airstrikes on Kabul and later extending to eastern Afghan cities. The fighting was concentrated along the Durand Line, particularly at border crossings and military outposts. Pakistan conducted two air raids on Kabul and several strikes on the border town of Spin Boldak.
