On Monday, India and Saudi Arabia kicked off their maiden joint military exercise, “Sada Tanseeq,” at Mahajan, Rajasthan. The exercise is slated to take place from 29 January to 10 February. The 45-member Royal Saudi Land Forces are representing Saudi Arabia, and a 45-person Battalion from the Brigade of the Guards (Mechanised Infantry) is representing the Indian Army contingent. The exercise aims to prepare both countries’ armed forces for joint operations in semi-desert environments under Chapter VII of the UN Charter. Through the exercise, both parties will be able to exchange best practices for conducting operations in sub-conventional domains in terms of tactics, techniques, and procedures.
Following a distress call from an Iranian-flagged fishing vessel ‘Iman’ hijacked off the coast of Somalia on Monday, the INS Sumitra swiftly coerced the pirates to release the boat and the 17-member crew. In less than a day of this mission, the Indian naval warship rescued another hijacked fishing vessel ‘Al Naemi’ from armed pirates around 800 miles off the coast of Kochi. The ship had 19 Pakistani fishermen on board who were rescued by the Indian Navy.
Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant informed US officials last week that he and the Israeli military will not allow Israeli settlers to rebuild illegal outposts or settlements in the Gaza Strip, Axios reported on Monday. According to sources, Gallant guaranteed that he would not allow the rebuilding of settlements in Gaza and emphasised that the buffer zone would be temporary and for security purposes only.
The Indian Consulate in Atlanta strongly denounced the attack on Vivek Saini, an Indian student who was beaten to death by a homeless man in a store. The Consulate General of India in Atlanta stated that it was “deeply anguished” by the “brutal” incident and that it gave consular assistance in returning the victim’s mortal remains to India. “The US authorities have arrested the accused & are investigating the case,” the statement read.
North Korea fired multiple unidentified cruise missiles into the waters off its west coast at around 7 a.m. local time on Tuesday, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement. This marks the third time the secretive regime has tested cruise missiles in less than a week.
Former Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte alleged on Sunday without offering any evidence that the incumbent Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his legislative allies are plotting to amend the constitution to lift term limits to solidify their grip on power.