Executive Summary

It's Monday, February 2nd.On February 1st, Pakistan's Balochistan province suffered the deadliest coordinated insurgent attack in years as the Balochistan Liberation Army struck 12 cities simultaneously, killing approximately 193 people including 145 militants, 31 civilians, and 17 security personnel. Ukraine recorded 15-18 civilian deaths on Day 1,439 as Russian drones struck a bus carrying energy workers in Ternivka and targeted a maternity hospital in Zaporizhzhia. Israeli airstrikes killed 31-32 Palestinians in Gaza despite ceasefire violations, while a mine collapse in rebel-controlled eastern Democratic Republic of Congo killed 227 people. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei warned the United States of regional war if attacked. Sudan's capital airport reopened for the first time since civil war began. No major cyberattacks on infrastructure were confirmed for the date.

Israeli airstrikes kill 31 Palestinians in Gaza despite ongoing ceasefire

Israeli forces conducted airstrikes on Khan Younis, Gaza City, and Maghazi refugee camp on February 1, killing at least 31-32 Palestinians including 6 children. Over 30 people sustained severe injuries. One strike hit a five-story residential building belonging to the al-Shana family in Maghazi camp in central Gaza. Israeli military officials stated the operations targeted ceasefire violators, though the attacks occurred during what was designated as a cessation of hostilities period. Since the October 2025 ceasefire began, 511 Palestinians have been killed and 1,405 wounded in what was intended to be a pause in fighting.

In a separate development, Israeli authorities announced a pilot reopening of the Rafah crossing beginning February 2, the first opening in nearly two years. The initial phase will permit just 150 exits and 50 entries daily, despite estimates that approximately 20,000 Palestinians require urgent medical evacuation. The cumulative toll since October 2023 now exceeds 71,386 Palestinians killed and 171,264 injured, with Israel occupying more than 50 percent of the Gaza Strip.

Iran warns of regional war if attacked by United States

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei delivered a public address in Tehran warning the United States that any military strike on Iran would trigger a regional war. Khamenei stated recent protests represented sedition similar to a coup attempt. Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf announced Iran would designate European Union member state armies as terrorist groups in retaliation for the EU's designation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group continued moving toward the Middle East as part of a broader US military buildup in the region.

Sudan reopens Khartoum airport after two-year war closure

Khartoum International Airport reopened for scheduled commercial flights on February 1, marking the first such operations since Sudan's civil war began over two years ago. Sudan Airways operated the inaugural flight from Port Sudan, with the airport now prepared to handle up to four daily flights. The Sudanese Armed Forces regained full control of Khartoum in March 2025 after prolonged fighting with the Rapid Support Forces. Fighting continues in central and western Sudan, particularly in Darfur region. The government returned to Khartoum from the wartime capital of Port Sudan in January 2026.

Sources: Al Jazeera, Reuters, Associated Press, Palestinian Health Ministry, Iranian state media, Sudanese Civil Aviation Authority

Russian drone strike kills 12-15 miners returning from work shift in Ternivka

A Russian drone struck a service bus transporting DTEK energy company miners in Ternivka, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast on February 1, killing 12-15 workers and injuring 7 others. The attack targeted the bus as miners returned from their shift. Ukrainian Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal described the incident as a cynical and targeted attack on energy sector workers. Footage showed a charred bus with shattered windows that had veered off the road following the strike.

Multiple civilian casualties across eastern and southern Ukraine on day 1,439

Russian forces killed at least 15-18 civilians and wounded 19-22 others in drone and artillery strikes across Ukraine on February 1. In Dnipro, a separate drone attack killed 2 civilians—a man and woman in their home—completely destroying the structure and damaging two additional houses. Zaporizhzhia suffered multiple drone strikes wounding at least 12 people, including an attack on a maternity hospital in Shevchenkivskyi district that injured two women undergoing medical examination and a 4-year-old child hit in a separate residential building strike. In Sloviansk, Donetsk Oblast, three FAB-250 aerial bombs killed a 43-year-old woman and injured another woman in early morning strikes.

Combat intensity remains high across multiple front sectors

Ukrainian General Staff recorded 150 combat clashes since the morning of February 1. Russian forces dropped 76 guided aerial bombs and deployed 2,872 kamikaze drones over the 24-hour period. The Pokrovsk direction experienced the heaviest fighting with 31 Russian attacks recorded. Ukrainian forces reported destroying Russian military equipment and inflicting personnel losses across multiple sectors. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed the second round of trilateral peace talks between the United States, Russia, and Ukraine would begin February 4-5 in Abu Dhabi, continuing negotiations that began in Saudi Arabia.

Sources: Al Jazeera, Ukrinform, Ukrainian General Staff, Global Security, DTEK Energy, Ukrainian Ministry of Energy

No significant conflict developments, military operations, terrorist attacks, or security incidents were documented in the Americas theater on February 1, 2026. The absence of immediate events during this reporting period reflects normal variance in daily conflict cycles rather than resolution of underlying security challenges affecting this region.

Mine collapse in M23-controlled DRC territory kills 227 people

A catastrophic mine collapse at Rubaya in North Kivu Province, Democratic Republic of Congo on February 1 killed at least 227 people, with the death toll expected to rise as bodies remain trapped in mud. Approximately 20 survivors were hospitalized with injuries. Victims included artisanal miners, children, and market women caught in the disaster caused by seasonal rain-induced ground instability. The Rubaya mining area produces approximately 15 percent of global coltan supply and has been under M23 rebel control since 2024. The United Nations reports M23—allegedly backed by Rwanda, though Kigali denies this—has been plundering Rubaya's mineral wealth to fund its ongoing insurgency against Congolese government forces. While classified as an industrial disaster rather than a combat incident, the collapse occurred in an active conflict zone where armed group control has prevented government oversight of mining safety conditions.

Sources: Al Jazeera, The National, Reuters, United Nations, local media reports from North Kivu

Myanmar marks fifth anniversary of military coup amid ongoing civil war

The Myanmar military junta's coup reached its fifth anniversary on February 1, 2026 amid continued civil war across the country. The UN Human Rights Office reported at least 170 civilians killed in airstrikes during the three-phase election period spanning December 28, 2025 to January 25, 2026, with approximately 400 people arrested. Junta forces retook Banmauk in Sagaing Region on February 2 after heavy fighting with Kachin Independence Army and People's Defense Force resistance fighters. The UN Secretary-General noted a rapidly deteriorating situation with 5.2 million people displaced internally and across borders since the 2021 takeover. British Foreign Secretary David Lammy marked the anniversary with a statement condemning the junta's violence and calling for accountability.

Sources: Global Security, UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, UN Human Rights Office, Myanmar Now, Irrawaddy

Balochistan Liberation Army launches coordinated attacks across 12 Pakistani cities

The Balochistan Liberation Army launched Operation Hiroof Phase 2 beginning at 03:00 local time on January 31, with counter-operations extending through February 1-2, marking one of the largest coordinated insurgent attacks in Pakistan's history. Militants struck simultaneously across 12 cities and towns in southwestern Balochistan, deploying suicide bombers including female operatives, armed fighters with AK-47s, grenades, and improvised explosive devices. Confirmed casualties totaled approximately 193 killed: 145-plus BLA militants eliminated by Pakistani security forces during the 40-hour counter-operation, 31 civilians including 5 women and 3 children, and 17 security personnel from police and paramilitary units.

Key attack locations included Quetta where militants targeted police stations, banks, and Frontier Corps headquarters; Gwadar where 11 died at a migrant worker camp; Mastung where a high-security prison was breached and more than 30 inmates freed; and Nushki where paramilitary posts were attacked and the deputy district commissioner abducted. Additional strikes occurred in Dalbandin, Kharan, Panjgur, Tump, and Pasni. Pakistan's Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti accused India and Afghanistan of backing the attackers, stating security forces foiled what was supposed to be Pakistan's September 11. The government imposed months-long security restrictions, suspending mobile phone services, train operations, and internet access throughout the province.

Tajikistan border guards kill three Afghan nationals in cross-border incident

Tajik border guards engaged armed individuals who crossed illegally from Afghanistan on January 30, reported February 1, killing 3 Afghan nationals identified as drug smugglers in Shamsiddin Shohin district along the border. Two others fled back toward Afghanistan. Security forces seized three Kalashnikov rifles, 150 rounds of ammunition, and 73 packages of hashish and opium. The incident occurred amid ongoing border security operations in the region where drug trafficking remains a persistent challenge along the Afghanistan-Tajikistan frontier.

Sources: Military.com, Wikipedia, Associated Press, Reuters, Pakistan Inter-Services Public Relations, Tajikistan Border Guard Service

No confirmed cyberattacks on critical infrastructure on February 1

No major cyberattacks on critical infrastructure were confirmed specifically for February 1, 2026. However, the threat landscape remains elevated with Chinese Advanced Persistent Threat groups including Salt Typhoon and Volt Typhoon continuing to infiltrate US telecommunications and critical infrastructure systems. Taiwan recorded 2.63 million daily intrusion attempts against critical infrastructure in recent months, representing a 113 percent increase since 2023. GPS jamming and spoofing incidents reached record levels with more than 700 daily incidents documented in 2024, with interference extending to low-Earth orbit satellites. North Korean hackers stole 2.02 billion dollars in cryptocurrency during 2025. The most significant recent cyber-kinetic operation was the January 3, 2026 Venezuelan power grid cyberattack synchronized with the US military operation that captured President Maduro.

Sources: Aviation Week, Air & Space Forces Magazine, Taiwan National Security Bureau, Chainalysis, US Cyber Command