Middle East

January 27, 2026

UNIFIL launched last week an explosive ordnance risk education (EORE) campaign targeting potentially vulnerable groups, including children and displaced people, in the mission’s area of operation. Working in coordination with the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS), the Lebanese Mine Action Centre (LMAC) and non-governmental organizations, UNIFIL peacekeepers will reach, over the next couple of months, hundreds ...

January 21, 2026

ven Syrian soldiers were killed and 20 others injured when a YPG drone struck an ammunition site in northeastern Hassakeh, the Syrian Defense Ministry said Wednesday. The Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), citing the ministry’s Media and Communications Department, said army units discovered a workshop for manufacturing improvised explosive devices and drone munitions near the al-Yarubiyah ...

January 19, 2026

U.S.-allied forces guarding prisons holding thousands of Islamic State group militants in northeastern Syria said Monday that they had lost control of one of the facilities after fighting broke out with fighters loyal to the government in Damascus. The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) added that one prison was less than 2 miles from a U.S.-led ...

January 18, 2026

The Executive Mine Action Center branch in Hodeida province destroyed on Sunday 140 anti-vehicle landmines left by the Saudi-US aggression in al-Hali district. The operation was carried out as part of ongoing clearance efforts to secure residential areas and roads, with officials stressing that mine-removal activities continue despite financial and logistical challenges to protect civilians and ...

January 17, 2026

TAMPA, Fla. — U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) conducted a strike in northwest Syria on Jan. 16, that resulted in the death of a leader affiliated with Al-Qaeda who had direct ties to an ISIS terrorist responsible for an ambush which killed two U.S. service members and an American interpreter on Dec. 13, 2025. Bilal Hasan al-Jasim ...

January 13, 2026

A year after the guns fell largely silent along Lebanon’s southern frontier, the war is still killing — quietly, indiscriminately, and often unseen. When the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah came into effect on Nov. 27, 2024, the country woke to a long-awaited calm. But the end of the bombardment did not mean the end of ...

January 12, 2026

Erbil Mine Affairs cleared nearly 801,000 square meters of land of landmines and explosive remnants of war over the past year, marking a significant step toward improving public safety and restoring land for civilian use, an official said on Monday. Ali Abdulrahman, Director General of Erbil Mine Affairs, told Kurdistan24 that demining teams cleared 800,795 square ...

January 11, 2026

Syria’s Ministry of Emergency and Disaster Management launched Sunday a four-day national workshop, “Safe Step,” aimed at raising awareness about the dangers of mines and unexploded ordnance. The workshop organized by the Syrian National Mine Action Center will focus on raising public awareness of explosive ordnance risks (EORE) and on providing support for victims and survivors. ...

January 11, 2026

Iran’s state media say dozens of members of the security forces have been killed during protests against an economic crisis, as the parliament speaker warns the United States and Israel of retaliatory strikes if Washington attacks the country. State television said on Sunday that 30 members of the police and security forces were killed in Isfahan ...

January 10, 2026

The US carried out large-scale strikes against ISIS targets in Syria on Saturday tied to an ongoing retaliatory campaign dubbed “Operation Hawkeye Strike.” “Today, at approximately 12:30 p.m. Eastern Time, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces, alongside partner forces, conducted large-scale strikes against multiple ISIS targets across Syria,” US Central Command said in a release posted ...

January 8, 2026

The Syrian army launched new strikes in parts of Aleppo on Thursday after ordering residents to evacuate, accusing the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) of using Kurdish-majority areas to launch attacks as clashes entered a third day. The army released more than seven maps identifying areas it said would be targeted in strikes, urging residents to ...

January 8, 2026

The United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) acknowledged Belgium’s ongoing financial assistance for the mission in Iraq. According to a statement released by the UNMAS, the contribution improves cooperative efforts with the Iraqi government and other partners to protect people from explosive ordnance and to provide safe and long-term access to land and key services for ...

January 7, 2026

BEIRUT, Jan. 7 — A total of 69 members of the 24th Chinese peacekeeping force to the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) successfully passed the assessment by the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) and obtained the UN mine clearance and Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) qualifications on January 5, 2026. The mine clearance and ...

January 7, 2026

The Defense Ministry says it has expanded work on a new security barrier along the Jordanian border, with authorities destroying hundreds of old landmines in the area. According to the ministry, the Mine and Unexploded Ordnance Clearance Authority carried out controlled detonations yesterday to clear three minefields, destroying some 500 anti-tank mines laid in the area ...

January 4, 2026

Britain’s and France’s air forces conducted a joint operation on Saturday evening to bomb a suspected underground arms cache previously used by the Islamic State group in Syria, Britain’s defence ministry said. Western aircraft have been conducting patrols to stop a resurgence of the Islamist militant group that ruled parts of Syria until 2019. Intelligence analysis ...

January 2, 2026

When Lebanon emerged from the November 2024 ceasefire, the country faced daunting challenges: over 113,000 people still displaced, 1,526 contaminated sites, and strained public services. Turning this fragile peace into lasting stability requires concrete solutions that restore trust, rebuild communities, and accelerate recovery. Thanks to the support from France’s contribution, UNDP supports the Lebanese Armed Forces ...

January 2, 2026

An old cache of mortar shells and mines dating back to the Iran-Iraq war has been discovered in the village of Kokoyi, Darbandikhan district of Sulaimani province. Authorities said the mine action directorate has been notified to arrange for the safe removal of the explosives. The shells were unearthed during construction work on a house in ...

January 1, 2026

The joint military exercise DESERT CYCLONE–II concluded successfully at Al-Hamra Training City in the United Arab Emirates, marking another significant milestone in strengthening defence cooperation between India and the UAE. The exercise was conducted from December 18 to 30, 2025, and brought together troops from both nations for intensive joint training. The second edition of the ...