Global defense news, analysis and opinion

Mattis: Pentagon supports Tillerson’s diplomatic efforts with North Korea

U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis told a Senate panel on Tuesday that the Pentagon supports Secretary of State Rex Tillerson's talks with North Korean officials.

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Coalition strikes destroy ISIS positions near Raqqa and Kirkuk – CJTF-OIR

U.S.-led Coalition strikes in Iraq destroyed Islamic State fighting positions near Raqqa in Syria and the Iraqi city of Kirkuk on Monday, Operation Inherent Resolve said

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Pentagon confirms US MQ-9 drone shot down in western Yemen

A US MQ-9 Reaper, an armed, medium-altitude surveillance drone, was shot down in Yemen on Sunday, Pentagon spokesman Major Adrian J.T. Rankine-Galloway told The Defense Post. “We assess that an MQ-9 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle was shot down in western Yemen on Oct. 1, 2017. This incident is under investigation,” Rankine-Galloway said on Monday. Saba News Agency, which is controlled by the Houthi rebels, said the drone was taken down by the militants in Sanaa. “A military source announced that [Houthi] air defences shot down an American MQ-9 surveillance drone in Jader area in the Sanaa province,” the agency said. Footage just recorded after #Yemen-i air defense shot down #US MQ-9 Drone in North of #Sanaahttps://t.co/wcZy8bc3WV — hONoUR (@Jakoben1789) October 1, 2017      

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Coalition strikes destroy car bomb factory near Hawija – CJTF-OIR

US-led Coalition strikes in Iraq destroyed an ISIS car bomb factory near Hawija, Operation Inherent Resolve said.

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US-Led Coalition service member killed by IED in Iraq

A member of the U.S.-led Coalition against Islamic State was killed by an IED during operations in Iraq, Operation Inherent Resolve said

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Coalition: MaT still a vetted Syrian force, remains at At Tanf

CJTF-OIR says MaT is still a Vetted Syrian Opposition force and remains at At Tanf, despite claims that it has joined a new group that will to fight in Deir Ez-Zor

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V-22 Osprey hard landing injures 2 US service members in Middle East

An investigation is underway after two U.S. service members were injured when a Coalition MV-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft executed a hard landing in Syria

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US missile malfunctions, causing casualties after insurgents attack Kabul airport

A US missile caused casualties after insurgents detonated suicide vests and fired several rockets near the Kabul Airport in Afghanistan on Wednesday.

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US detects no change in posture of N. Korean military, top US general says

The U.S. military has not detected any change in posture of North Korean forces despite the politically charged rhetoric coming from Pyongyang, Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joseph Dunford said on Tuesday. “We haven’t seen a change in the posture of North Korean forces. We watch that very carefully,” Mr. Dunford said in a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing. On Monday, North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho said the U.S. had declared war on his country. The remarks came after U.S. President Donald J. Trump tweeted that North Korea “won’t be around much longer,” if Mr. Ri echoed the views of the country’s leader Kim Jong–un. The White House later dismissed the notion that Washington was at war with Pyongyang. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said earlier on Monday that the U.S. is going to continue to pursue diplomatic efforts to resolve the North Korean crisis. “Hope that’s the way we’ll solve this,” he said.

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Syrian regime carried out Sept. 25 strike on SDF near Deir Ezzor, Coalition says

Syrian forces conducted strikes "in the vicinity of" SDF positions near Deir Ezzor on Monday, a US-led Coalition spokesperson said.

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