Executive Summary

It's Thursday, February 5th.Yesterday, a mass terrorist attack in Nigeria's Kwara State killed at least 40 people, with unconfirmed reports suggesting the toll may exceed 170. The Gaza ceasefire collapsed after Hamas gunmen fired on Israeli troops, prompting retaliatory strikes that killed 21 Palestinians including six children and three senior militant commanders. Russian forces struck a civilian market in Druzhkivka with cluster munitions, killing seven and wounding 15. Pakistan recaptured the town of Nushki from BLA militants after a three-day battle, concluding the deadliest coordinated insurgent offensive in the country's history. South Sudan's military bombed an MSF hospital in Lankien, destroying the sole healthcare facility serving 250,000 people. The U.S. Treasury sanctioned two Mexican cartels, and American warships arrived in Haiti's waters ahead of a political transition deadline. Twenty-three ransomware victims were claimed in a single day, while Russia's APT28 continued exploiting a newly weaponized Microsoft Office vulnerability against European government targets.

Gaza ceasefire collapses as Israeli strikes kill 21 Palestinians

The Gaza ceasefire, in place since January, collapsed on February 4 after Hamas gunmen opened fire on IDF troops near the Yellow Line in northern Gaza overnight, seriously wounding one Israeli reserve officer. The IDF designated this the tenth ceasefire violation since January 22, triggering a retaliatory campaign of airstrikes and tank shelling across the Strip that killed 21 Palestinians and wounded 38 more.

The deadliest strike hit a mourning gathering at Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza. Displaced persons' tents in Khan Younis and the Al-Mawasi area were also struck. Six children, four women, and at least one Palestinian Red Crescent paramedic were among the dead. An Israeli airstrike on Khan Younis separately killed two and wounded several others.

Three senior militant commanders killed in targeted operations

The IDF conducted three targeted assassinations on February 4. Bilal Abu Assi, a Nukhba Force platoon commander who led the October 7, 2023 invasion of Kibbutz Nir Oz, was eliminated. Muhammad al-Habil, a Hamas cell commander implicated in the killing of IDF observer Noa Marciano in captivity, was also killed. Palestinian Islamic Jihad suffered the loss of Ali Razayneh, commander of the group's Northern Gaza Brigade, whom the IDF stated was working to reconstitute PIJ forces in violation of ceasefire terms.

Saif al-Islam Gaddafi assassination confirmed in Libya

Libyan prosecutors confirmed on February 4 that Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, 53, the son of former leader Muammar Gaddafi, died from gunshot wounds after four masked gunmen stormed his residence in Zintan on February 3. The Presidential Council condemned the assassination as aimed at undermining national reconciliation. Saif al-Islam had been a candidate in planned Libyan elections and maintained a political following in parts of the country's west.

Syrian landmine kills three soldiers; SDF deal implemented

A landmine explosion in Sarrin, eastern Aleppo, killed three Syrian army soldiers on February 4. The ordnance was reportedly left by SDF forces. Separately, a second explosion occurred in the village of Qashla near Manbij; casualty details were not immediately available. Syrian Interior Ministry forces entered Qamishli in northeastern Syria, implementing the January 30 Damascus-SDF agreement on security coordination in the region.

Southern Lebanon airstrikes and Iran nuclear talks

Israeli artillery struck Blida in southern Lebanon while an airstrike destroyed a two-story building in Ain Qana, with the IDF claiming both strikes targeted Hezbollah weapons depots. UNIFIL peacekeepers took defensive measures against two drones observing patrols near the Blue Line. A senior Iranian official stated that upcoming talks with the United States would address only the nuclear program, rejecting any broader agenda.

Sources: Times of Israel, Wafa News Agency, FDD, Al Jazeera, CNN, Bloomberg, Izvestia, Liveuamap, Long War Journal

Cluster munition strike on Druzhkivka market kills seven civilians

Russian forces launched a cluster munition attack on a civilian market in Druzhkivka, Donetsk Oblast, on the morning of February 4, killing seven civilians aged 43 to 81 and wounding 15 others aged 50 to 72. Two aerial bombs also struck nearby residential buildings. Donetsk Governor Vadym Filashkin stated that the strike was deliberate and constituted further evidence that Russian statements about seeking a ceasefire held no credibility.

Zaporizhzhia drone strike kills two teenagers

A Russian drone strike on Zaporizhzhia city killed two 18-year-olds and wounded 12 others, including four children and teenagers aged 11 to 17. Four high-rise apartment buildings sustained damage. Authorities issued a 24-hour air raid alert across the entire Zaporizhzhia region following the attack.

Overnight strikes damage Odesa residential areas and schools

Overnight Russian strikes on Odesa wounded five people and damaged approximately 20 residential buildings, two kindergartens, and a school. A large fire erupted at an industrial facility before firefighters extinguished it. State Emergency Services rescued four people from damaged structures. The attacks continued a pattern of targeting Ukrainian port cities and civilian infrastructure.

Ukrainian counterstrikes hit Belgorod amid extreme cold

Ukraine launched retaliatory strikes on Russia's Belgorod region, with 12 missiles and 3 drones striking the city and 19 missiles plus 104 drones hitting the wider region since February 3. Four civilians were wounded. Power and heat outages affected residents amid temperatures reaching minus 20 degrees Celsius, mirroring the energy disruptions Russian strikes have inflicted on Ukrainian cities throughout the winter.

Nova Kakhovka shelling and frontline combat

Ukrainian artillery struck Russian-occupied Nova Kakhovka in Kherson Oblast, killing three civilians and damaging a government service center and grocery store. Russian forces claimed capture of Staroukrainka in Zaporizhzhia Oblast and Stepanovka in Donetsk. Over 110 combat clashes occurred across frontlines on February 4. Ukrainian air defense neutralized 88 of 105 Russian drones launched overnight.

The February 4 events followed Russia's largest aerial assault of 2026 on February 2-3, when over 450 drones and 71 missiles struck energy infrastructure across Ukraine, leaving 300,000 in Kharkiv without electricity and 1,170 Kyiv high-rises without heating. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, visiting Kyiv on February 4, stated that Russia's energy attacks did not suggest Moscow was serious about making peace. Trilateral peace talks between the United States, Russia, and Ukraine resumed in Abu Dhabi on February 4.

Armenia-Azerbaijan peace milestone

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev met in Abu Dhabi, receiving the 2026 Zayed Award for Human Fraternity recognizing their August 2025 peace agreement. Both leaders emphasized maintaining positive momentum in bilateral normalization, with trade and petroleum exports underway between the two former adversaries.

Sources: Al Jazeera, Russia Matters, South Front, Ukrainian General Staff, Donetsk Oblast Military Administration, Reuters, BBC News, Kyiv Independent

US warships arrive in Haiti ahead of political transition deadline

Three U.S. warships—USS Stockdale, USCGC Stone, and USCGC Diligence—arrived in Port-au-Prince Bay on February 4 amid escalating gang violence and ahead of the February 7 political transition deadline. The U.S. Embassy confirmed the deployment, stating the vessels were positioned to support operations in the region. Secretary of State Marco Rubio described Haitian gangs as transnational criminal terrorist organizations. The deployment coincided with continued fighting between armed groups controlling large sections of the capital and the under-resourced Haitian National Police.

Jamaica imposes emergency curfew in Kingston

Jamaican authorities imposed a 48-hour security curfew in the Kingston Eastern policing division beginning at 6:00 PM on February 4, indicating heightened gang-related security concerns in the capital. A reputed gang leader identified by the alias Bloodstain was charged with double murder following a shooting on Grenmeade Road. The curfew restricted all movement except for essential services and authorized personnel.

US Treasury sanctions Mexican cartels and affiliated individuals

The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control designated two Mexican cartels—Carteles Unidos and Los Viagras—as well as seven individuals linked to terrorism, drug trafficking, and agricultural extortion in Michoacán state. The Treasury described both organizations as engaging in violence against civilian populations, extortion of the avocado and lime industries, and fentanyl production and trafficking into the United States.

Sources: Haitian Times, Jamaica Observer, U.S. Department of the Treasury, Reuters

Mass terrorist attack in Kwara State kills at least 40

The deadliest single incident on February 4 occurred in Kwara State, Nigeria, where suspected terrorists invaded Woro and Nuku communities in Kaiama Local Government Area on the evening of February 3, continuing into February 4. Initial reports confirmed at least 40 killed, though human rights organizations later reported more than 170 deaths. Attackers raided villages, burned homes and shops, and shot victims at close range. Hundreds of residents fled into nearby bushes.

Governor Abdulraham AbdulRazaq condemned the attack as a deliberate attempt by the armed groups to divert the attention of security operatives conducting clearance operations in the state. Officials attributed the assault to extremist groups including Boko Haram and Islamic State-linked factions operating in Nigeria's central belt. The attack underscored the expanding reach of armed groups beyond their traditional strongholds in the northeast.

South Sudan military bombs MSF hospital in Lankien

South Sudanese government forces (SSPDF) conducted an airstrike on the Médecins Sans Frontières hospital in Lankien, Jonglei State, on February 4, destroying the main warehouse and most critical medical supplies. The facility was the sole healthcare provider for approximately 250,000 people. MSF confirmed that the organization had shared GPS coordinates with authorities before the attack. One MSF staff member sustained minor injuries.

This marked the tenth attack in 12 months on MSF facilities in South Sudan. A separate MSF facility in nearby Pieri was looted on February 3, forcing staff to flee. Fighting between the SSPDF and SPLM-iO forces continues across Jonglei and Upper Nile states, with 280,000 people displaced since December 29, 2025, according to UN OCHA.

M23 drone attack on Kisangani Airport in DRC

M23 rebel leader Corneille Nangaa claimed responsibility on February 4 for a drone attack on Kisangani Airport in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Nangaa warned that the use of Kisangani as a platform for military operations against rebel-held territories was now prohibited. The attack demonstrated a modernization of rebel arsenals that analysts described as a concerning escalation in the eastern Congo conflict.

Sources: The Source (Nigeria), The Week, UN OCHA, Africanews, MSF, Reuters

Myanmar junta consolidates power as civil war intensifies

Myanmar's military junta enacted a law on February 4 creating a new Union Consultative Council, a governance body designed to allow Senior General Min Aung Hlaing to retain power while transitioning to a nominal presidential role. The legislation drew condemnation from opposition groups and international observers who characterized it as an effort to entrench military control following the widely rejected January elections.

On the ground, six junta soldiers surrendered to the Kachin Independence Army in Hpakant Township after their company commander was killed in recent clashes. The soldiers received monetary rewards from the KIA. In Tanintharyi Region, the junta escalated aerial, drone, and naval attacks while struggling to maintain control outside urban centers. Myanmar's civil war has killed over 93,000 since the February 2021 coup, with nearly 5.2 million displaced.

Taiwan Strait monitoring

Chinese military aircraft and naval vessels operated around Taiwan, with two PLA aircraft sorties—both crossing the median line—and six PLAN ships detected on February 3-4. No direct confrontations occurred. Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense continued daily monitoring and reporting of Chinese military activity in the Strait.

Sources: Myanmar Now, The Star (Malaysia), Express Tribune, ACLED, UN News, United Nations Press, Liveuamap

Pakistan recaptures Nushki after three-day battle with BLA

Pakistani security forces recaptured the town of Nushki from Balochistan Liberation Army militants on February 4, concluding a three-day battle that employed helicopters and armed drones. The operation ended coordinated BLA attacks launched January 31 across at least 12 locations in Balochistan province under the militant operation name Herof 2.0.

Seven police officers were killed specifically in the Nushki fighting. Cumulative casualties since January 31 include 31 civilians killed (among them five women and three children), 17 to 22 security personnel killed, and 197 militants killed, totaling over 250 deaths. Militants stormed banks, schools, police stations, a high-security prison, and Frontier Corps camps across the province. Female fighters participated in some suicide bombings during the offensive.

Security lockdown and international condemnation

Section 144, banning public gatherings, was imposed province-wide for one month. Mobile internet services were suspended across Balochistan. The UN Security Council issued formal condemnation of the attacks. Pakistan accused India of backing the BLA offensive; India rejected the allegations. China pledged continued support for Pakistan's counter-terrorism efforts, with Chinese operations at Gwadar Port remaining suspended following attacks on CPEC-linked infrastructure.

India-Pakistan tensions elevate over Balochistan accusations

Pakistan-India tensions rose as Islamabad formally accused New Delhi of supporting the BLA attacks. Pakistan announced it would boycott an upcoming Champions Trophy cricket match against India, citing the security situation. India categorically denied involvement. The diplomatic exchange occurred against the backdrop of the broader Balochistan insurgency, which has seen escalating violence throughout 2025 and into 2026.

Sources: Al Jazeera, Dawn, The Nation (Pakistan), Investing.com (Reuters), Just Security, UN Security Council

Twenty-three ransomware victims claimed in single-day surge

Ransomware monitoring services documented 23 new victim claims on February 4 by 10 active ransomware groups, representing one of the highest single-day totals in 2026. Qilin led with 7 claimed victims, followed by Akira with 5. Targets spanned the United States (8 victims), Germany (2), Switzerland (2), Taiwan (2), and other nations. Victims included Royal Wine Corp, Harvard-affiliated entities, healthcare facilities, and school districts across multiple countries.

APT28 continues exploiting Microsoft Office vulnerability against European targets

APT28, Russia's GRU-linked hacking unit, continued its campaign exploiting Microsoft Office vulnerability CVE-2026-21509, which the group weaponized within 24 hours of the January 26 public disclosure. The campaign targeted European military and government entities in Poland, Slovenia, Turkey, Greece, the UAE, and Ukraine through malicious RTF files designed to deploy email-stealing malware and persistent backdoor access tools.

China-linked espionage campaign disclosed targeting Southeast Asia

Check Point Research disclosed a campaign attributed to Amaranth-Dragon, a China-linked espionage group, which exploited a WinRAR vulnerability throughout 2025 to conduct espionage against government and law enforcement agencies across Southeast Asia, particularly Cambodia. The campaign used social engineering techniques to deliver malware through compressed archives targeting intelligence and security officials.

Harvard University data breach attributed to ShinyHunters

The ShinyHunters hacking collective breached Harvard University's Alumni Affairs and Development department, exposing approximately 115,000 sensitive records including donor information, wealth ratings, and signed agreements with financial commitments. The breach was disclosed on February 4 and represented one of the largest attacks on an academic institution in 2026.

GPS jamming operations persist across Europe and Middle East

Russia maintained GPS jamming operations affecting commercial aviation across Europe's Baltic region, with interference from systems based in Kaliningrad, Leningrad, and Pskov oblasts reportedly capable of disrupting signals at altitudes exceeding 1,200 miles above ground level. Separately, Iran continued GPS and Starlink jamming operations, with satellite internet packet loss rates reaching 30 to 80 percent for users during domestic protests.

Sources: Dark Web Informer, The Hacker News, Cyware, InfoStealers, Satellite Evolution, France 24, Check Point Research