THE FRONTLINE REPORT

It's Saturday, December 27th. December 26, 2025 witnessed significant armed conflict across multiple theaters. A mosque bombing in Syria killed 8 Alawite worshippers during Friday prayers in Homs, with Sunni extremist group Saraya Ansar al-Sunnah claiming responsibility. A Palestinian attacker killed 2 Israelis in a combined car-ramming and stabbing attack across northern Israel. Russia launched massive drone assaults on Ukraine leaving 5+ civilians dead and over 307,000 without power, while Ukrainian forces struck deep into Russian territory hitting major energy facilities including the world's largest gas processing plant. U.S. forces struck ISIS training camps in Nigeria with Tomahawk missiles, while Saudi Arabia launched rare airstrikes against UAE-backed separatists in Yemen. China activated sanctions against 20 U.S. defense companies over Taiwan arms sales, and Japan approved a record $58 billion defense budget.

• Mosque explosion in Homs killed 8 worshippers and injured 18 during Friday prayers at Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib Mosque
• Palestinian man killed 2 Israelis in combined car-ramming and stabbing attack spanning Beit She'an and Ein Harod
• Israeli Air Force struck Hezbollah Radwan Force training site in Hermel and weapons depots in southern Lebanon
• Saudi Arabia conducted airstrikes against Southern Transitional Council forces in Hadramout, eastern Yemen
• UNIFIL peacekeepers came under fire in two separate incidents with one peacekeeper injured by concussion
• Israeli forces killed Palestinian in Gaza and conducted raids across multiple West Bank locations
• Three IRGC members killed in ambush by unidentified gunmen in Sistan and Baluchestan province, Iran

Mosque bombing in Homs kills 8 Alawite worshippers during Friday prayers

A coordinated bombing struck the Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib Mosque in the Wadi al-Dahab neighborhood of Homs during Friday prayers on December 26, killing 8 people and injuring 18. The mosque serves Syria's Alawite minority, the sect of former President Bashar Assad. Investigators found explosive devices had been planted inside the building prior to detonation during the crowded prayer service. Saraya Ansar al-Sunnah, a Sunni extremist group, claimed responsibility via Telegram. This marked the group's first attack since July 2025 and signals rising sectarian violence in post-Assad Syria. UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the attack, with Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, France, and Canada issuing formal condemnations.

Palestinian attacker kills 2 Israelis in northern Israel ramming and stabbing attack

A Palestinian man from Qabatiya in the occupied West Bank carried out a multi-location attack across northern Israel on December 26. The assailant first rammed his vehicle into pedestrians in Beit She'an, killing 68-year-old Mordechai Shimshon and injuring a 16-year-old boy. He then drove to Route 71 near Kibbutz Ein Harod, where he fatally stabbed 19-year-old Aviv Maor at a bus stop before being shot by a civilian passerby. The attacker had illegally entered Israel days earlier. Defense Minister Israel Katz ordered operations in Qabatiya, with the IDF subsequently launching raids in the town. French Foreign Ministry issued a condemnation statement.

Israeli strikes hit Hezbollah positions despite ceasefire, UNIFIL peacekeepers injured

Israeli Air Force conducted airstrikes on Hezbollah positions in multiple locations on December 26 despite the November 2024 ceasefire. Strikes targeted a Hezbollah Radwan Force training site in the Hermel region of northeastern Lebanon, along with weapons depots and military infrastructure in Bouslaiya and Jbaa in southern Lebanon. Separately, UNIFIL peacekeepers came under fire from IDF positions in two incidents. Heavy machine gun fire impacted near a patrol at Bastarra village with a grenade exploding nearby, while machine gun fire struck near patrol at Kfar Shouba village. One UN peacekeeper suffered ear concussion from the explosion. UNIFIL condemned the incidents as violations of Security Council resolution 1701.

Saudi Arabia launches rare airstrikes against UAE-backed separatists in Yemen

In a dramatic escalation of intra-coalition tensions, Saudi warplanes struck Southern Transitional Council forces in the Wadi Nahb area of Ghayl bin Yamin District, Hadramout Governorate on December 26. The first strike occurred at 8:00 AM local time, with a second strike at 9:15 AM. The strikes followed STC clashes with Saudi-aligned tribal leader Amr bin Habrish on December 25. This marked the first Saudi airstrike against the STC since the separatist offensive into eastern Yemen began in early December. The UAE, STC's patron, issued a statement welcoming Saudi stability efforts.

Gaza and West Bank operations continue with casualties and detentions

Israeli forces fatally shot Uday al-Maqadma east of Gaza City near a school entrance on December 26, with the individual dying of injuries at hospital. In Jabalia refugee camp, 13-year-old Ahmed Radwan Abu Al-Kas succumbed to earlier injuries. Four IDF soldiers were injured in a suspected vehicle-ramming attack on a convoy in the Adorayim area of the West Bank, with the suspect detained. IDF raids in Yatta, Beit Ummar, near Nablus, and Tubas detained several Palestinians including a woman, four children, and an elderly man. Three IRGC members were killed in an ambush by unidentified gunmen in Sistan and Baluchestan province, Iran, in an attack bearing hallmarks of Baluch insurgent activity.

• Russian forces launched 99 attack drones and one Iskander-M missile with 26 striking 16 locations killing 5+ civilians
• Chernihiv residential building struck killing 80-year-old woman and injuring 10 including 3 children
• Kharkiv hit by 3 KAB guided bombs killing 2 and injuring 8 including 9-month-old girl
• Ukrainian forces struck Novoshakhtinsk oil refinery with Storm Shadow missiles causing multiple explosions
• Ukrainian drones hit Orenburg gas processing plant, world's largest facility processing 37.5 billion cubic meters annually
• Poland intercepted Russian reconnaissance aircraft over Baltic Sea on Christmas morning
• Ukrainian General Staff reported 1,240 Russian personnel casualties in preceding 24 hours

Russian drone and missile assault kills 5+ civilians across Ukraine

Russia launched a massive overnight assault on December 26 deploying 99 attack drones and one Iskander-M ballistic missile across Ukraine. Ukrainian air defenses intercepted 73 drones, but 26 drones and the missile struck 16 locations. In Chernihiv, a drone struck a 5-story residential building, killing an 80-year-old woman and injuring 10 people including 3 children. Kherson Oblast saw 1 killed and 6 injured across multiple strikes. Zaporizhzhia Oblast reported 1 killed and 4 injured with infrastructure damage. Kostiantynivka in Donetsk saw 1 killed and 2 injured. Around noon, an Iskander-M missile struck Uman city center in Cherkasy, injuring 6 including 2 children. Kharkiv was hit by 3 KAB guided bombs on the city's busiest road, killing 2 and injuring 8 including a 9-month-old girl. Port and energy infrastructure in Odesa and Mykolaiv sustained damage with fires at administrative buildings.

Ukrainian forces strike deep into Russian energy infrastructure

Ukraine executed significant long-range strikes against Russian energy facilities on December 26. British-supplied Storm Shadow missiles hit Novoshakhtinsk Oil Refinery in Rostov Oblast, causing multiple confirmed explosions. The facility supplies diesel and aviation fuel to Russian military operations. SBU drones ignited fires at Temryuk Seaport in Krasnodar Krai, with two oil storage tanks ablaze across approximately 2,000 square meters. In a particularly significant strike, Ukrainian drones hit Orenburg Gas Processing Plant in Orenburg Oblast, over 800 kilometers from the border. The facility is the world's largest gas processing plant with capacity of 37.5 billion cubic meters annually, and partially suspended operations following the strike. Ukrainian drones also targeted Maykop Military Airfield in the Republic of Adygea. Russia claimed 77 Ukrainian drones were intercepted overnight across multiple regions.

Front line fighting intensifies with heavy Russian casualties

The Ukrainian General Staff recorded 237 combat clashes along the front line on December 26, with the heaviest fighting concentrated in the Pokrovsk and Lyman sectors which saw over 80 combined clashes. Russia's Defense Ministry claimed capture of Sviato-Pokrovske in Donetsk Oblast. Ukraine reported 1,240 Russian personnel casualties in the preceding 24 hours. The fighting continued unabated despite earlier rejected proposals for a Christmas truce.

Poland responds to airspace violations from Russia and Belarus

Polish fighter jets scrambled on Christmas morning to intercept a Russian reconnaissance aircraft near Polish airspace over the Baltic Sea. The aircraft was visually identified and escorted out of Polish area of responsibility. Additionally, dozens of unidentified objects from Belarus entered Polish airspace overnight December 25-26. Poland's National Security Bureau identified 4 objects as smuggling balloons, but warned the mass nature of violation during Christmas may indicate a provocation disguised as a smuggling operation. Northeast Poland's Podlaskie region airspace was temporarily closed to civilian traffic.

• United States struck ISIS training camps in Sokoto State with Tomahawk missiles and MQ-9 Reaper drones
• Sudanese Armed Forces concluded three-day aerial campaign against RSF positions in Nyala, South Darfur
• Alliance of Sahel States forces killed senior JNIM commander Moussa Himma Diallo in central Mali
• Joint Force clashed with RSF at Um Baru and Karnoi localities near Chad border in North Darfur

U.S. launches precision strikes on ISIS camps in Nigeria with Tomahawk missiles

Between 00:12 and 01:30 West Africa Time on December 26, U.S. forces launched precision strikes against two ISIS training camps in northwestern Nigeria. The primary targets were located in the Bauni forest, Tangaza area of Sokoto State near the Niger border. Weapons used included Tomahawk missiles from a USS destroyer in the Gulf of Guinea and 16 GPS-guided munitions via MQ-9 Reaper drones. The targets were Islamic State Sahel Province and Lakurawa militant camps described as staging grounds for large-scale terrorist attacks. AFRICOM stated multiple ISIS terrorists were killed. Debris injured 5 civilians in Offa, Kwara State with no fatalities. President Bola Tinubu authorized the operations, while President Trump described it as a Christmas present to terrorists. This represented a significant escalation of U.S. counter-terrorism operations in West Africa.

Sudan Armed Forces pound RSF positions in Nyala

Sudanese Armed Forces concluded a three-day aerial campaign against Rapid Support Forces positions in Nyala, South Darfur on December 26. The seat of RSF's parallel government TASIS was targeted with military drones and warplanes striking RSF logistics at Nyala International Airport. Strikes hit a fuel market triggering massive explosions as fuel barrels detonated. Training facilities and military positions were targeted with casualties reported among both civilians and RSF fighters involved in fuel trade. In North Darfur, clashes erupted between the Joint Force allied with SAF and RSF forces at Um Baru and Karnoi localities near the Chad border, with Joint Force claiming they repelled RSF assault.

Mali eliminates senior JNIM commander in central operation

Alliance of Sahel States joint forces eliminated Moussa Himma Diallo, deputy commander of Katiba Serma, in the Serma sector of Douentza region in central Mali on December 26. Katiba Serma operates as part of JNIM, al-Qaeda's Sahel affiliate. Diallo was described as a formidable terrorist who had evaded capture for years. The operation demonstrated continued pressure by the unified Sahel forces against jihadist groups operating across the region.

• China activated sanctions against 20 U.S. defense companies and 10 executives over Taiwan arms sales
• Japan approved record $58 billion defense budget marking 14th consecutive annual increase
• North Korea ordered accelerated missile and artillery production modernization during factory inspections
• Myanmar junta launched operations near Naypyitaw with airstrikes killing 5 at IDP camp on December 25
• Kim Jong Un showcased 8,700-ton nuclear-powered submarine under construction

China activates sanctions on U.S. defense firms over Taiwan arms

Sanctions imposed by China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs took effect December 26, targeting 20 U.S. defense companies and 10 executives over $11.1 billion in arms sales to Taiwan announced December 17. Sanctioned entities include Boeing St. Louis branch, Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation, L3Harris Maritime Services, Anduril Industries, and Lazarus AI. Sanctioned individuals include Palmer Luckey, founder of Anduril. Measures freeze company assets in China, ban Chinese organizations from doing business with sanctioned entities, and bar sanctioned individuals from entering China.

Japan approves record defense budget amid regional tensions

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's Cabinet approved a defense budget exceeding 9 trillion yen, approximately $58 billion, for FY2026 on December 26. This marks a 9.4 percent increase and the 14th consecutive record defense budget. Key allocations include 177 billion yen for upgraded Type-12 surface-to-ship missiles with 1,000-kilometer range, 970 billion yen for standoff missile capability, and $3.67 billion for U.S. Forces Japan projects. Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi called it the minimum needed for the severest security environment in postwar era. China's Foreign Ministry condemned Japan for moving in a dangerous direction.

North Korea accelerates weapons production amid submarine showcase

Kim Jong Un ordered modernization of missile and artillery production during inspections of military-industrial enterprises on December 26. He approved draft modernization plans and called for building new munitions plants to expand production capacity. State media also released images of an 8,700-ton nuclear-powered submarine under construction, the first public display of the largely completed hull. The submarine represents a significant advancement in North Korea's naval nuclear capabilities.

Myanmar junta intensifies operations ahead of sham elections

With junta-controlled elections scheduled for December 28, military operations intensified across Myanmar on December 26. Resistance forces attacked junta military bases and polling stations near Naypyitaw. In Singu Township, Mandalay, junta forces recaptured the town from PDF and retook Yadanar Thein Kha Bridge. Fleeing civilians in Sagaing were hit by junta airstrikes along river banks. On December 25, a junta airstrike killed 5 people at an IDP camp.

• Sinaloa Cartel gunfight in Costa Rica town, Culiacán left at least one body recovered
• U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince went into lockdown after gunfire in surrounding area
• USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group continued Operation Southern Spear enforcing Venezuela oil blockade

Sinaloa Cartel violence continues in Culiacán

Authorities in Costa Rica town, Culiacán municipality, Sinaloa State documented the aftermath of a gunfight between two armed factions of the Sinaloa Cartel on December 26. At least one body was recovered from the scene. The violence continues the cartel's civil war between Los Chapitos faction loyal to El Chapo's sons and Los Mayitos faction loyal to Ismael El Mayo Zambada, which has killed hundreds since July 2024.

U.S. Embassy in Haiti locks down amid gang violence

The U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince went into lockdown on December 26 after gunfire was heard in the surrounding area. Haiti's capital remains under control of the Viv Ansanm gang coalition led by Jimmy Barbecue Chérizier, which controls approximately 80-90 percent of metropolitan Port-au-Prince. Over 5,600 people were killed in gang violence in 2024.

U.S. Venezuela oil blockade operations continue

The USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group and USS Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group continued operating in the Caribbean on December 26 as part of Operation Southern Spear, enforcing the Trump administration's quarantine of Venezuelan oil. Over 15,000 U.S. military personnel including F-35 fighters deployed to Puerto Rico are involved. The Coast Guard actively pursued Venezuelan-linked oil tanker Bella-1.

• Heavy clashes in North Waziristan around Mir Ali injured 3 security personnel and at least 20 civilians
• Tajik border guards killed 3 armed intruders from Afghanistan with 2 Tajik guards also dying
• Pakistan counter-terrorism operations killed 11 terrorists across Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
• Drone strike on madrassa in Tank District injured 9 children ages 8-14 with 3 critically wounded

Heavy fighting erupts in North Waziristan around Mir Ali

Heavy fighting broke out around noon on December 26 between Pakistani security forces and militants in areas adjoining Mir Ali, North Waziristan District. Mortar shells struck residential houses in multiple localities. A loud explosion was reported near Muski area along Mir Ali-Khaisoor Road. The security checkpost at Hasokhel Bridge came under heavy weapons fire. All commercial activities were suspended with residents confined to homes. Three security personnel were injured along with at least 20 civilians including women and children.

Tajikistan border guards kill armed intruders from Afghanistan

Tajik border guards engaged three armed men from Afghanistan who crossed into Shamsiddin Shokhin District, Khatlon Region on December 24. When located on December 25, the intruders refused orders to surrender and opened fire. All three were killed with 2 Tajik border guards also dying. Seized weapons included three M-16 rifles, one AK-47, three pistols with silencers, 10 hand grenades, a night-vision scope, and explosives. This was the third incursion from Afghanistan in weeks following attacks on November 26 and 30 that killed 5 Chinese nationals. Analysts suspect ISIS-K involvement.

Pakistan counter-terrorism operations kill 11 militants

Intelligence-based operations on December 24-25, reported December 26, killed 11 terrorists across Pakistan. In Kohlu, Balochistan, 5 militants were killed in an IBO targeting Fitna-al-Hindustan Baloch separatists. In Dera Ismail Khan, KP, 2 TTP members were killed including high-value target Dilawar with 4 million rupees bounty. In Kalat, Balochistan, 8 terrorists were killed in a firefight. A controversial drone strike on a madrassa in Tank District on December 25 at 11:30 PM injured 9 children ages 8-14, with 3 critically wounded on ventilators. Protests erupted in Mir Ali and Peshawar on December 26.

• 63 ransomware claims from 6 groups recorded with LockBit5 claiming 53 entities across 25+ countries
• Snyderville Basin Water Reclamation District in Utah attacked by Chinese APT Flax Typhoon
• Trust Wallet Chrome extension compromise stole $7 million in cryptocurrency from hundreds of users
• China launched Jielong 3 rocket from Haiyang Oriental Spaceport at 06:30 UTC

Ransomware surge targets healthcare and critical infrastructure

63 ransomware claims from 6 groups were recorded on December 26. LockBit5 led with 53 claims against entities across 25+ countries. Qilin posted 4 claims including Georgia Dermatology in USA and Hopital La Rabta in Tunisia. Akira posted 3 claims including Progressive Laboratories in USA and Ruhrpumpen in Germany. Lynx, Chaos, and Nightspire combined for 3 additional claims against European and Australian targets. The surge in ransomware activity during the holiday period exploited reduced IT security staffing.

Chinese state-sponsored hackers target Utah water district

Snyderville Basin Water Reclamation District in Utah disclosed on December 26 that its ArcGIS server was compromised and files encrypted. CISA attributed the attack to APT Flax Typhoon, a Chinese state-sponsored group. The attack was successfully isolated with all files recovered and water operations remained unaffected. The incident highlighted continued targeting of U.S. critical infrastructure by state-sponsored actors.

Trust Wallet breach steals $7 million in cryptocurrency

A compromised update to Trust Wallet's Chrome extension version 2.68 injected malicious JavaScript that harvested users' seed phrases on December 26. Approximately $7 million was stolen including $3 million in Bitcoin, over $3 million in Ethereum, and $431,000 in Solana. Hundreds of victims were affected. Trust Wallet and Binance suggested possible nation-state involvement. Co-founder CZ confirmed reimbursements for affected users.

China launches Jielong 3 rocket

At 06:30 UTC on December 26, China launched a Jielong 3 solid-fueled rocket from Haiyang Oriental Spaceport launch ship in Shandong Province. The payload was unspecified. This marked the 9th overall Jielong 3 mission and 5th of 2025.