THE FRONTLINE REPORT

It's Tuesday, November 11, 2025. November 10 witnessed at least 250 deaths across global conflict zones, led by a Lake Chad jihadist battle that killed 170-200 ISWAP militants when Boko Haram forces ambushed an Islamic State convoy. A car explosion near New Delhi's historic Red Fort killed 8-10 people and injured 19-24 others, prompting Indian authorities to invoke anti-terrorism laws and place the capital on high alert. The Ukraine-Russia war continued with 156 combat clashes and 1,090 Russian casualties as Moscow intensified attacks on energy infrastructure with 74 munitions. Pakistani security forces killed 20 TTP militants in North Waziristan operations. The United States military conducted airstrikes on two alleged drug-trafficking vessels in the Eastern Pacific, killing six people as part of expanded counter-narcotics operations. Myanmar's junta bombed civilian areas in Karenni State, killing five people. Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa met President Trump at the White House where Syria joined the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS. Belgian authorities investigated drone incursions over the Doel Nuclear Power Plant amid suspected Russian hybrid warfare.

• Boko Haram forces ambushed ISWAP convoy in Lake Chad Basin, killing 170-200 ISWAP militants on November 9-10
• Boko Haram's Bakoura Doro faction captured 7 boats and weapons cache after destroying most of ISWAP flotilla
• Battle occurred near Dogon Chiku as ISWAP transported weapons and supplies across lake waters
• Video evidence showed bodies in canoes and vessels flooded with bloody water after engagement
• Four Boko Haram fighters killed in the engagement according to intelligence officials
• Fighting in North Kordofan, Sudan forced approximately 2,000 people to flee Bara area November 8-9

Lake Chad jihadist battle leaves up to 200 militants dead

The deadliest single event on November 10 unfolded in the Lake Chad Basin, where rival jihadist factions engaged in a water-based battle that left approximately 170-200 Islamic State West Africa Province militants dead and 4 Boko Haram fighters killed. The ambush occurred near Dogon Chiku as Boko Haram's Bakoura Doro faction attacked an ISWAP convoy transporting weapons and supplies across the lake on Sunday, November 9-10.

Boko Haram forces captured seven boats and a substantial weapons cache after destroying most of the ISWAP flotilla. Video evidence circulated among security sources showed bodies in canoes and vessels flooded with bloody water. Intelligence officials, militia sources, and the Nigerian Air Force confirmed what security analysts described as one of the bloodiest encounters between the two groups in recent months.

The battle reflects intensifying territorial competition between the rival jihadist organizations over fishing routes, strategic islands, and smuggling corridors in the tri-border region where Nigeria, Chad, and Cameroon meet. ISWAP and Boko Haram have engaged in periodic clashes since ISWAP split from Boko Haram in 2016 and pledged allegiance to the Islamic State, but the November 9-10 engagement represents one of the highest casualty counts recorded in inter-jihadist fighting in the region.

Sudan displacement continues amid North Kordofan fighting

Fighting between Sudan Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces in North Kordofan province forced approximately 2,000 people to flee towns and villages between Friday and Saturday, November 8-9. The displacement figures were reported by the International Organization for Migration on November 10. The fighting in the Bara area adds to the massive humanitarian crisis stemming from battles around El Fasher in western Darfur, where tens of thousands have walked approximately 70 kilometers to overcrowded camps in Tawila.

North Kordofan has become the main fighting area between SAF and RSF in recent months. The United Nations has warned of abominable atrocities including summary executions, sexual violence, and ethnically motivated killings occurring in the region. Sudan's civil war has displaced millions since fighting began in April 2023.

• Car explosion near Red Fort Metro Station in Delhi killed 8-10 people and injured 19-24 others at 18:52 local time
• Indian authorities invoked anti-terrorism laws and deployed National Investigation Agency to investigation
• Delhi, Mumbai, airports, railway stations placed on high security alert following suspected attack
• Pakistani forces killed 20 Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan militants in North Waziristan and Dara Adam Khel operations
• Pakistan-Afghanistan peace talks collapsed over weekend with Pakistan blaming Taliban for harboring TTP

Delhi car explosion kills up to 10 near historic Red Fort

At approximately 18:52 local time on November 10, a Hyundai i20 exploded at a traffic signal near the Red Fort Metro Station in Old Delhi, India's most densely populated historic quarter. The blast killed 8-10 people and injured 19-24 others, many critically, while destroying six vehicles and three auto-rickshaws in the congested Chandni Chowk area.

The car had stopped at a red light near the 17th-century Red Fort when it detonated, triggering a massive fire. Bodies were found in pieces across the scene according to witnesses. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah personally monitored the response as Indian authorities invoked anti-terrorism laws and deployed the National Investigation Agency, National Security Guard, and forensic teams.

The government placed Delhi, Mumbai, airports, railway stations, and government buildings on high security alert. The Red Fort closed for three days while investigators analyzed CCTV footage. The United States Embassy advised Americans to avoid the area. While terrorism remained suspected as of November 10 evening, authorities had not confirmed the attack's nature or attribution, with forensic reports pending. The explosion occurred in one of Delhi's most symbolic locations, steps from a UNESCO World Heritage site and a symbol of Indian independence.

Pakistan kills 20 militants in counter-terrorism operations

Pakistani security forces killed 20 Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan militants in raids conducted November 9-10 across North Waziristan and Dara Adam Khel districts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The operations targeted militant hideouts in Pakistan's northwest tribal areas bordering Afghanistan, killing eight militants in North Waziristan on November 9 and twelve in Dara Adam Khel in a separate operation.

The raids occurred as the third round of Pakistan-Afghanistan peace talks in Istanbul collapsed over the weekend of November 6-7. Pakistan accuses Afghanistan's Taliban government of harboring TTP militants who launch cross-border attacks, allegations Afghanistan denies. Pakistan's Foreign Office issued a statement on November 10 blaming the Taliban for hollow promises and inaction on terrorism while maintaining willingness for dialogue. Pakistan has conducted over 600 counter-TTP operations in 2025, reflecting the sustained intensity of the insurgency.

• Ukrainian General Staff reported 156 combat clashes across the front on November 10 with 1,090 Russian casualties
• Russian overnight strikes used 74 munitions including 40 Shahed drones, 2 Kinzhal missiles, killing 6 civilians
• Pokrovsk sector experienced 59 Russian attacks with Ukrainian forces repelling all advances by day's end
• Russian energy strikes left 307,000 without power across northern Ukraine including Kharkiv region
• Ukrainian drones struck Hvardiiske oil depot in Crimea and Tuapse oil terminal in Krasnodar Krai overnight
• Ukrainian 7th Rapid Response Corps released drone footage showing Russian tank destruction in Pokrovsk direction
• Three unidentified drones spotted over Doel Nuclear Power Plant near Antwerp on November 9 evening
• Belgium investigating suspected Russian hybrid warfare with UK deploying military anti-drone assistance

Day 1,356 sees intensified Pokrovsk fighting with 59 attacks

The Ukraine-Russia war entered Day 1,356 on November 10 with Ukrainian General Staff reporting 156 combat clashes across the front. The Pokrovsk sector in Donetsk Oblast emerged as the most active combat zone with 59 Russian attacks throughout the day, representing a 20 percent increase from the previous week's average. Ukrainian forces killed approximately 130 Russian troops in Pokrovsk fighting alone, with 66 killed and 64 wounded, while successfully repelling all Russian advances by evening despite difficult conditions.

Russia's Tsentr Group claimed to have liberated 244 buildings in Pokrovsk's industrial zone within 24 hours on November 10, though Ukrainian forces contested these territorial claims. Military analysts noted that Russian supply routes into Pokrovsk have narrowed to a corridor less than 10 kilometers wide, creating what Ukraine acknowledges as difficult logistics challenges. Ukrainian officials denied Russian claims of encirclement while confirming the tactical complexity of the situation.

Ukrainian forces reported total Russian losses on November 10 of 1,090 personnel killed across all fronts. The 7th Rapid Response Corps released drone strike footage showing a Russian T-72 tank being destroyed by an FPV drone in the Pokrovsk direction, demonstrating Ukraine's continued effectiveness with unmanned aerial systems despite Russian numerical advantages in the sector.

Russian strikes on energy infrastructure leave 307,000 without power

Russian forces launched a coordinated overnight strike using 74 munitions on November 9-10, including approximately 40 Shahed-type drones, 2 Kinzhal hypersonic missiles, and 45 cruise and ballistic missiles. Ukrainian air defenses intercepted 52 drones, though 15 struck targets across nine locations in Dnipropetrovsk, Sumy, Odesa, Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv, and Khmelnytskyi regions. The strikes killed 6 Ukrainian civilians and injured more than 30 others.

Russian missiles hit the Starokonstantinov airbase in western Ukraine, communication facilities in Romny and Konotop in Sumy region, fuel depots in Vasylkiv near Kyiv, and air defense positions in Odesa Oblast. Energy infrastructure damage left 307,000 customers without power across northern Ukraine, with Kharkiv region experiencing the most severe outages. Emergency blackouts were implemented across multiple regions as repair crews worked to restore damaged transmission systems.

In Kharkiv, Russian strikes caused serious damage to a kindergarten facility, though all 50 children and staff evacuated safely before impact. The attack represented the fourth consecutive winter that Russia has systematically targeted Ukraine's power generation and distribution infrastructure in an apparent strategy to pressure Ukrainian civilians during cold weather months.

Ukrainian forces strike Russian oil infrastructure in Crimea and Krasnodar

Ukrainian Special Operations Forces conducted coordinated drone attacks on Russian oil infrastructure overnight November 9-10. Ukrainian forces struck the Hvardiiske oil depot near Simferopol, Crimea, marking the third attack on the same facility within one month. The strikes successfully hit pumping stations that supply Russian military facilities across occupied Crimea, according to Ukrainian military sources.

In a separate operation, Ukrainian sea drones attacked the Tuapse oil terminal and refinery in Krasnodar Krai, Russia, approximately 75 kilometers northwest of Sochi. The facility serves as a major Black Sea export terminal for Russian oil. The November 10 attack represented the second strike on Tuapse within eight days, following a previous assault on November 2. Russian authorities confirmed explosions and fire at the terminal but provided no casualty figures.

Drone incursions over Belgian nuclear plant under investigation

Belgian authorities continued investigating drone incursions over the Doel Nuclear Power Plant near Antwerp after 3-5 unidentified drones were spotted flying over the facility on the evening of November 9 around 22:00 local time. The facility operator Engie and Belgium's National Crisis Center confirmed violations of the nuclear plant's no-fly zone, though officials stated the reactors faced no operational impact or nuclear safety danger as they are designed to withstand aircraft impacts.

Separately, drone activity at Liège Airport forced operations to halt for approximately one hour the same evening. These incidents marked the latest in a daily series of drone interruptions across Belgium throughout October and November 2025. Previous incidents included multiple closures at Brussels Airport and suspicious drone flights over Kleine Brogel Air Base between October 31 and November 2, which is believed to host United States tactical nuclear weapons.

Belgian Defense Minister assessed the incidents as not amateur operations, linking them to recent Russian airspace violations across Europe. Belgium authorized its military to shoot down unknown drones on November 3 and deployed a 30-officer Counter-UAS team with detection antennas near major airports. The United Kingdom, France, and Germany sent military personnel and anti-drone equipment to assist Belgium's response to what officials described as suspected Russian hybrid warfare operations targeting NATO infrastructure.

• US military conducted airstrikes on two alleged drug-trafficking vessels in Eastern Pacific killing 6 people on November 9
• Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced strikes bringing total deaths to 76 in 20+ strikes since September 2
• Operations expanded from Caribbean waters to Eastern Pacific in late October
• USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier strike group en route to Caribbean as of November 10
• UN Human Rights Chief condemned strikes as potential extrajudicial killings violating international law

US expands lethal counter-narcotics campaign to Eastern Pacific

The United States military conducted airstrikes on two alleged drug-trafficking vessels in international waters of the Eastern Pacific Ocean on November 9, announced November 10. The strikes killed 6 people described by United States officials as male narco-terrorists affiliated with designated terrorist organizations. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth directed the operations, releasing video footage showing one stationary boat being struck and one moving vessel exploding.

The strikes bring the total death toll in the Trump administration's expanded military campaign against Latin American cartels to 76 people killed in more than 20 strikes since operations began September 2, 2025. The campaign initially focused on Caribbean waters near Venezuela before expanding to the Eastern Pacific in late October. United States officials claim legal authority under counter-terrorism powers, having designated cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations.

The operations have drawn sharp international criticism. UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk condemned the strikes as potential extrajudicial killings violating international law, while Democratic and some Republican lawmakers questioned legality and demanded Congressional authorization. Families and governments of victims claim many killed were civilian fishermen, not drug traffickers.

Major naval deployment to Caribbean underway

The USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier strike group was en route to the Caribbean as of November 10, representing the largest United States military deployment in Latin America since the 1994 Haiti operation. The deployment signals the administration's commitment to expanding counter-narcotics operations beyond airstrikes to include sustained naval presence in drug-trafficking corridors.

The Trump administration has framed the counter-narcotics campaign as armed conflict against terrorist organizations rather than law enforcement operations, allowing use of military force without traditional rules of engagement for drug interdiction. Critics argue this represents an unauthorized expansion of military authority into law enforcement and violates sovereignty of Latin American nations whose waters are being patrolled.

• Myanmar junta conducted aerial bombardment of Demoso Township in Karenni State killing 5 people at 07:00
• Airstrike destroyed several buildings in territory controlled by Karenni resistance forces
• Taiwan detected 6 PLA aircraft sorties and 7 naval vessels near its territory on November 10
• Two PLA aircraft crossed median line and two entered Taiwan's southwestern ADIZ by 06:00
• China published official territorial sea baselines around Scarborough Shoal on November 10
• Baseline publication responds to Philippines' Maritime Zones Act signed November 8

Myanmar junta airstrikes kill five in Karenni State

Myanmar's military junta conducted aerial bombardment of civilian areas in Demoso Township, western Karenni State, at approximately 07:00 local time on November 10. The airstrike killed 5 people and destroyed several buildings in territory controlled by Karenni resistance forces. The attack represents part of the sustained air campaign the junta has waged against resistance-held areas throughout Myanmar's civil war, which has displaced millions since the February 2021 military coup.

Karenni State has been one of the most active conflict zones in Myanmar, with ethnic armed organizations and People's Defense Forces controlling significant territory. The junta relies heavily on airstrikes to target areas it cannot control on the ground, frequently hitting civilian infrastructure including schools, hospitals, and residential areas.

China maintains pressure on Taiwan with routine operations

The People's Liberation Army conducted routine but provocative operations near Taiwan on November 10, with 6 aircraft sorties and 7 naval vessels detected in the Taiwan Strait. Two aircraft crossed the median line and two entered Taiwan's southwestern Air Defense Identification Zone by 06:00. Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence monitored and responded to the activity, which followed similar operations the previous day.

These near-daily incursions represent China's ongoing pressure campaign against Taiwan. While the November 10 operations involved fewer assets than some recent days, the consistent pattern of crossings demonstrates Beijing's intent to normalize military presence in Taiwan's ADIZ and erode the significance of the median line as an informal boundary.

South China Sea legal warfare escalates over Scarborough Shoal

China published official territorial sea baselines around Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea on November 10, directly responding to the Philippines' Maritime Zones Act signed November 8. The baseline publication represents a significant legal-political escalation in territorial disputes, potentially establishing internal waters claims that could justify more aggressive Chinese coast guard actions and restrict Filipino fishermen's access to the shoal's lagoon.

China seized control of Scarborough Shoal from the Philippines in 2012 following a tense standoff. This formal baseline declaration further asserts sovereignty over disputed waters approximately 220 kilometers from the Philippine coast. The Philippines' Maritime Zones Act asserts Philippine sovereignty over its exclusive economic zone and continental shelf in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which China rejects in favor of its expansive nine-dash line claims.

The baseline publication follows a pattern of tit-for-tat legal and administrative actions between Manila and Beijing. China's Ministry of Natural Resources stated the baselines were published in accordance with Chinese law, while the Philippines condemned the action as a violation of international law and the 2016 arbitral tribunal ruling that invalidated China's historical claims in the South China Sea.

• Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa met President Trump at White House where Syria joined Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS
• United States removed al-Sharaa from terrorism list and canceled $10 million bounty days before meeting
• Syria announced detention of over 70 alleged ISIS members hours before White House meeting
• Agreement allows closer cooperation with US forces as Syria confronts 2,500-3,000 active ISIS fighters in east
• Trump administration lifted economic sanctions against Syria last week ahead of meeting

Syria joins US-led anti-ISIS coalition in historic White House meeting

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa met with President Donald Trump at the White House on November 10, where Syria formally joined the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS as the 90th member nation. The historic first-ever visit by a Syrian president to the White House came just days after the United States removed al-Sharaa from its terrorism list and canceled the $10 million bounty on him.

Al-Sharaa, who led rebel forces that ousted Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, formerly commanded Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, an organization with roots in al-Qaeda that he broke from in 2016. The agreement described as a political cooperation declaration with no initial military components allows closer cooperation with United States forces and CENTCOM as Syria confronts 2,500-3,000 active ISIS fighters in eastern Syria.

The Trump administration lifted economic sanctions against Syria last week, though Congressional sanctions under the 2020 Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act remain major obstacles to reconstruction. Hours before the meeting, the Syrian government announced detention of over 70 alleged ISIS members, demonstrating commitment to counter-terrorism operations. The agreement represents a significant geopolitical realignment in the Middle East, with the United States formally partnering with a government led by a former jihadist commander against remnant ISIS forces.

No significant cyberattacks on infrastructure, satellite warfare events, or state-sponsored hacking incidents were documented on November 10, 2025. Articles published on this date discussed previously disclosed vulnerabilities and ongoing campaigns detected earlier, but no new major cyber operations occurred on November 10 itself. The absence of reported events during this reporting period reflects normal variance in daily cyber activity rather than cessation of persistent cyber threats affecting governments, critical infrastructure, and private sector networks globally.