Associated Press: Iran Attacks Alleged Militant Bases In Pakistan; Islamabad Says ‘Unprovoked’ Strikes Kill 2 Children

“Iran launched attacks Tuesday in Pakistan targeting what it described as bases for the militant group Jaish al-Adl, potentially further raising tensions in a Middle East already roiled by Israel’s war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Pakistan said the strikes killed two children and wounded three others in an assault it described as an “unprovoked violation” of its airspace. Confusion followed the announcement from Iran as state media reports on it soon disappeared. However, the attack inside of nuclear-armed Pakistan by Iran threatens the relations between the two countries, which long have eyed each other with suspicion while maintaining diplomatic relations.”

CBS News: White House Set To Renew Terrorist Designation Of Houthi Rebels

“The Biden administration is expected to re-designate Yemen's Houthi rebels as a specially designated global terrorist group (SDGT), a U.S. official confirmed to CBS News Tuesday. This comes amid the militia's continuing attacks targeting commercial vessels in the Red Sea. The move would reverse the original decision made by the State Department in February of 2021 to remove the SDGT designation and de-list the Iran-backed Houthis as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO). Both designations were applied in the final days of the Trump administration to the Iran-backed group, which controls large portions of Yemen and has been engaged in a years-long civil war with the internationally-recognized, Saudi-backed Yemeni government.”

CEP Mentions

EU Observer: Ex-UK Envoy To Yemen: Houthis Using Gaza To Mask Own Agenda

“... Fitton-Brown's Houthi experience dates back to negotiations on the Yemen civil war in Kuwait, Oman, and Switzerland in his time as British ambassador to Yemen from 2015 to 2017. And his portrait of them stood in stark contrast to their noble Gaza talk. "We had a peace agreement [on Yemen] in Kuwait in 2016 and they walked away from it. They walked away to some degree because they prefer fighting," Fitton-Brown said. "A lot of their field commanders preferred to fight because they gained wealth, respect, and satisfaction from it. When you put to them an agreement in which they become civil servants, that's actually not such an attractive package," he said. "What they have morphed into in recent years is a free fighting outfit. They love to fight. They enjoy conflict," said the ex-diplomat, who is now an adviser to the Counter Extremism Project, a non-profit group based in Germany and the US.”

United States

CBS News: White House Set To Renew Terrorist Designation Of Houthi Rebels

“The Biden administration is expected to re-designate Yemen's Houthi rebels as a specially designated global terrorist group (SDGT), a U.S. official confirmed to CBS News Tuesday. This comes amid the militia's continuing attacks targeting commercial vessels in the Red Sea. The move would reverse the original decision made by the State Department in February of 2021 to remove the SDGT designation and de-list the Iran-backed Houthis as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO). Both designations were applied in the final days of the Trump administration to the Iran-backed group, which controls large portions of Yemen and has been engaged in a years-long civil war with the internationally-recognized, Saudi-backed Yemeni government.”

ABC News: 2 Missing Navy SEALs On Mission That Seized Iranian Missile Parts Headed For Houthis: US

“The two U.S. Navy SEALs missing in the Gulf of Aden off Somalia were on a mission to board a dhow that led to the seizure of Iranian-made ballistic and cruise missile components headed to Houthi militants in Yemen, according to U.S. Central Command. The risky nighttime mission last Thursday to board the dhow in rough waters continued even after one of the SEALs fell into the water and the second SEAL, following protocol, jumped into the water to rescue his teammate.”

Iran

Associated Press: Iran Attacks Alleged Militant Bases In Pakistan; Islamabad Says ‘Unprovoked’ Strikes Kill 2 Children

“Iran launched attacks Tuesday in Pakistan targeting what it described as bases for the militant group Jaish al-Adl, potentially further raising tensions in a Middle East already roiled by Israel’s war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Pakistan said the strikes killed two children and wounded three others in an assault it described as an “unprovoked violation” of its airspace. Confusion followed the announcement from Iran as state media reports on it soon disappeared. However, the attack inside of nuclear-armed Pakistan by Iran threatens the relations between the two countries, which long have eyed each other with suspicion while maintaining diplomatic relations.”

Turkey

Reuters: Turkey Strikes Kurdish Militants In Iraq And Syria

“Turkey said it had destroyed 23 targets in overnight air strikes on Kurdish militants in northern Iraq and Syria, a further escalation of conflict south of its border. The attacks were the latest by Turkey since nine Turkish soldiers were killed in clashes with Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militants in northern Iraq on Friday. The new strikes were on targets in northern Syria and the Metina, Gara, Hakurk and Qandil regions of northern Iraq, the defence ministry said late on Monday.”

Pakistan

Associated Press: Pakistan Recalls Ambassador To Iran Over Air Strike That Killed 2 People

“Pakistan recalled its ambassador to Tehran on Wednesday, a day after Iran launched airstrikes on Pakistan that it claimed targeted bases for a militant Sunni separatist group. Islamabad angrily denounced the attack as a “blatant violation” of its airspace and said it killed two children. Tuesday’s strike on Pakistan’s restive southwestern Baluchistan province imperiled diplomatic relations between the two neighbors, but both sides appeared wary of provoking the other. Iran and nuclear-armed Pakistan have long regarded each other with suspicion over militant attacks.”

Middle East

Voice Of America: US ‘Hopeful’ Of New Release Of Hostages Held By Hamas In Gaza

“The U.S. said Tuesday it is “hopeful” that talks brokered through Qatar could lead to a new deal to release hostages held by Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip in exchange for a cease-fire in the fighting between Hamas and Israel. "I don't want to say too much publicly here as we have these talks, but we're hopeful that it can bear fruit, and bear fruit soon," National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters at a White House briefing. More than 100 hostages were released during a temporary truce in November, but 132 are believed to still be held by Hamas in Gaza, including the remains of about two dozen who have died or were killed.”

Reuters: Israel Carries Out Intense Strikes On Hezbollah In South Lebanon

“Israel unleashed an intense barrage of air strikes on a valley in south Lebanon, Lebanese security sources and the Israeli military said, after a rare Israeli acknowledgment of a special forces operation on the border.

Lebanese security sources told Reuters there were at least 16 airstrikes in quick succession on the Suluki Valley, describing them as the "densest bombardment of a single location" since border-area hostilities began three months ago.”

Nigeria

Reuters: Nigeria Blast Kills Two, Dozens Hurt As Buildings Collapse

“At least two people were killed and dozens injured when explosives stored at a private residence detonated in Nigeria's Oyo state, its governor said on Wednesday. A Reuters witness saw several collapsed houses and wrecked cars from the impact of Tuesday's blast, which sent panicked residents into the streets. Emergency services and security officials used bulldozers to clear debris during a search and rescue operation on Wednesday in a neighbourhood of Ibadan, the capital of Oyo state about 130 km (80 miles) from Nigeria's commercial capital of Lagos.”

Somalia

Al Arabiya: Suicide Bombing Kills Three, Injures Two In Somali Capital: Police

“A suicide bomb blast in Somalia’s capital city Mogadishu killed three people and injured two others, Somali authorities said on Tuesday, with the militant group al-Shabab claiming responsibility for the attack.

While being pursued by police, a suicide bomber blew himself up outside the Al Hindi restaurant in Mogadishu’s Hamar Weyne district, police spokesman Sadik Ali said.”

Voice Of America: White House 'Troubled' By Deal Between Ethiopia And Breakaway Somaliland Region

“The White House sees national security concerns in a recent agreement giving Ethiopia leasing rights to the Red Sea coastline in Somalia's breakaway Somaliland region, administration officials said Tuesday. But experts questioned Washington's commitment and ability to quell tensions in the volatile region. The two parties inked the deal on January 1. At the time, Ethiopian government spokesman Redwan Hussien said the deal also "paves the way for accessing a leased military base on [the] Red Sea.”

Europe

Al-Monitor: EU Sanctions Hamas' Yahya Sinwar And Somalia's Al-Shabab Top Leader

“The Council of the European Union announced Tuesday it was adding Gaza-based Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar to its terrorist list. A statement issued by the council read, "This decision comes as part of the European Union’s response to the threat posed by Hamas and its brutal and indiscriminate terrorist attacks in Israel on 7 Oct. 2023." The sanctions, effective immediately, freeze Sinwar’s assets and funds across the European Union and prohibit EU operators from making any funds and economic resources available to him. On Dec. 7, the body added Hamas military commander Mohammed Deif and his deputy Marwan Issa to the EU terror list and on Dec. 5, France announced it was freezing the assets of Sinwar for a period of six months.”