Wednesday

February 24, 2016

Armed conflicts and attacks

Gunmen attack a Malian military checkpoint in the town of Léré, near the Mauritanian border with Mali, killing at least three soldiers and wounding two others. (Reuters)

Kurdish–Turkish conflict

Turkish Air Force helicopters struck a group of Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) fighters in southeast Turkey, killing nine militants, according to security sources. (Yahoo! News)

Second Libyan Civil War

Senior Libyan military officials say French special forces are on the ground in Benghazi helping Libyan National Army troops fight ISIL militants. They said that the French forces, along with American and British teams, are setting up an operations room inside Benina International Airport in Benina. The French defense ministry declined to comment, citing a policy not to comment on special forces' activities. (The New York Times)

Yemeni Civil War (2015–present)

Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen

The United Arab Emirates pulls its troops out of Yemen amid mounting casualties among its forces battling Shia Houthi militants and rising tensions with local fighters in Aden, southern Yemen, which escalated yesterday when Aden International Airport was stormed by local pro-government gunmen. The airport has now been closed. (Fox News) (Middle East Eye)

Metrojet Flight 9268

Two months after Egypt's Civil Aviation Ministry ruled out terrorism in Flight 9268's crash, President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi admits an ISIS bomb downed the Russian passenger jet. The terrorist group's Sinai Peninsula Branch claimed responsibility shortly after the incident. (Forbes)

Arts and culture

2016 Brit Awards

The 2016 Brit Awards are held at The O2 in London with James Bay, Adele, Tame Impala, Justin Bieber, Bjork, and Coldplay all winning their respective categories. Adele won four awards in total. (The Guardian) (BBC)