troops

ISIS gunman kills 2 U.S. troops and a U.S. civilian in Syria ambush; attacker dead, CENTCOM says Two U.S. service members and a U.S. civilian were killed and three other service members were wounded when a lone ISIS (Daesh) gunman ambushed a joint operation in Syria on Dec. 13, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said Saturday. The assailant was engaged and killed at the scene, according to a CENTCOM statement posted on X. Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said the civilian killed was a U.S. interpreter. CENTCOM did not…

North Korea has acknowledged deploying troops to Russia’s Kursk region to clear land mines, with leader Kim Jong Un praising an engineering regiment for “mass heroism” during a ceremony in Pyongyang, according to state media. The remarks, carried by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), mark a rare public admission by Pyongyang about the dangerous frontline duties assigned to its soldiers in Russia as the war in Ukraine nears its fourth year. KCNA said Kim hailed the unit’s return and awarded state honors to fallen soldiers…

Puntland State deploys new forces to Al-Miskaad as campaign against ISIS-Somalia enters ‘closing phase’ BOSASO, Somalia — Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025 Puntland State has deployed new military units to the Al-Miskaad mountain range in the Bari region as its yearlong campaign against the Islamic State group’s Somali branch moves into what officials describe as its closing phase. Regional authorities said Monday that hundreds of recently assigned soldiers were sent to the Baallade valley and surrounding areas to reinforce and…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somali government forces captured nine villages from al-Shabab in western Hiiraan after militants withdrew ahead of a planned military advance, military officials said Sunday. The army moved into areas surrounding the El Adde settlement as part of a broader offensive to weaken the group’s long-standing hold over parts of the region. Officials said troops faced no resistance because al-Shabab fighters abandoned their positions before the units arrived. A senior officer involved in the operation said the…

Benin's government said its armed forces had foiled an attempted coup Sunday after a small group of soldiers briefly seized control of state television and announced they had taken power. At least eight soldiers, several wearing helmets, appeared on national TV in the early hours to say a military committee led by Colonel Tigri Pascal had dissolved national institutions, suspended the constitution and closed the country's air, land and maritime borders. "The army solemnly commits to give the Beninese people the hope of a…

Army Rescues 12 Girls Abducted by Boko Haram in Borno State In a significant operation, troops under Operation Hadin Kai have successfully rescued 12 girls abducted by Boko Haram and ISWAP militants in the Mussa District of Askira/Uba Local Government Area, Borno State. The victims, aged between 15 and 20, were kidnapped on November 23 while working in their farmlands. One girl managed to escape and return home safely, leaving 12 others in captivity. Acting on actionable intelligence, the army conducted a targeted…

KISMAYO, Somalia — Jubaland’s regional administration on Saturday condemned the federal government for airlifting National Intelligence and Security Agency troops to Garbaharey, a move it labeled provocative amid ongoing counterterrorism operations and delicate political talks with Mogadishu. Multiple reports said the federal forces were flown into the southern town on Friday. Footage circulating on local channels showed armed personnel disembarking at the Garbaharey airstrip. Mogadishu has not issued an official…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s drive to build a 100,000-strong national army gained fresh momentum as a new unit trained in Qatar was deployed across Mogadishu, part of a broader, multinational effort to professionalize the country’s security forces after years of conflict. About 600 Somali soldiers returned from long-term training in Doha and have been placed under the National Intelligence and Security Agency’s Banadir command, according to multiple security sources. Turkey is supplying weapons and gear to the unit as…

JAMAME, Somalia — Jubaland regional forces, backed by the Somali National Army’s Danab commandos, have advanced on Jamaame in Lower Jubba, tightening pressure on al-Shabaab and opening corridors for civilians after days of coordinated operations outside Kismayo, according to security officials. Officials and security sources said troops have pushed through a string of settlements surrounding the town — including Araare, Muusa Xaaji, Koban and Bangeeni — establishing safe routes for aid and deploying police and…

Why Sweden’s Quiet Mission in Somalia Matters MOGADISHU — This summer, small units of the Swedish Armed Forces arrived in Somalia. They are not the first foreign troops to set foot here, but their focus — training, advising and what militaries call “technical exploitation” — speaks to a shift in how European nations are choosing to engage with fragile states long shadowed by jihadist violence. “We were invited,” a Swedish defence statement said, underscoring a rarely spoken rule of intervention in Somalia: foreign help is…