🇷🇺 🇲🇱 #Wagner Group PMCs seen with a Toyota Land Cruiser and Mi-24 attack helicopter, likely in eastern #Mali amid continued operations against AQ/JNIM-affiliated militants or Tuareg separatists of the CMA.

Wagner Group continues to be paid over $100 million a year to provide security and support the Malian junta, which is largely subsidized by taxes on international mining companies operating in the country. Via theatlasnews.co

🇨🇳 #China Unveils New Baseline for Territorial Waters in Gulf of Tonkin: https://theatlasnews.co/latest/2024/03/18/china-unveils-new-baseline-for-territorial-waters-in-gulf-of-tonkin/

SITREP: Transnistria Drone Attack: https://theatlasnews.co/latest/2024/03/17/sitrep-transnistria-drone-attack/

🇰🇵 #NorthKorea Conducted Two Missile Launches Along Eastern Coast: https://theatlasnews.co/brief/2024/03/17/north-korea-conducted-two-missile-launches-along-eastern-coast/

🇳🇪 🇺🇸 🇷🇺 #Niger Cuts Military Ties with #UnitedStates:

On Saturday, Niger’s military junta announced it would immediately sever military cooperation with the UnitedStates and ordered the removal of #American forces stationed in the country for counter-terrorism operations, signaling another shift away from western powers as the junta seeks greater support from #Russia.

A Nigerien military spokesman, Colonel Major Amadou Abdramane, announced during a press conference on March 17th his country’s intention to cut military ties with the United States with ‘immediate effect.’ In a televised address, Abdramane stated that the U.S. delegation failed to follow diplomatic protocol and did not inform the Nigerien government of its agenda: “The Nigerien government, taking into account the aspirations and interests of its people, decides in any case to denounce with immediate effect the agreement relating to the status of U.S. military personnel and civilian employees of the US Department of Defense on the territory of the Republic of Niger. A diplomatic correspondence will be addressed to the US party to this effect.” “Also, the government of Niger forcefully denounces the condescending attitude accompanied by the threat of retaliation from the head of the American delegation towards the Nigerien government and people,” said Abdramane.

The announcement comes just days after AFRICOM Commander Michael Langley and Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Molly Phee visited Junta leadership.

Despite the decision, AFRICOM confirmed to Stars and Stripes that American forces are still in country, largely located at the Air Base 201 near Agadez, which has been a hub for counter-terrorism drone operations in the Sahel, which has been a growing hotbed for jihadism in recent years.

Following a coup led by General Abdourahamane Tchiani, which deposed Niger’s elected President Mohamed Bazoum in July 2023, the U.S. military, which previously had around 1,100 personnel in the country, reduced its force to an estimated 648. These remaining forces were concentrated Airbase 201, which cost around $100 million to build, although operations were significantly reduced after Tchiani took power. Both MQ-9 Reaper armed drones and C-17 Globemaster III transport planes operate out of the airbase.

Since taking power during a coup in July 2023, the junta has ended military cooperation with #France as junta officials continue to meet with Russia for greater military and economic cooperation. Via theatlasnews.co

🇮🇱 🇵🇸 #IDF Seizes Shifa Hospital, Claims #Hamas Leader Killed in Firefight: https://theatlasnews.co/latest/2024/03/18/idf-seizes-shifa-hospital-claims-hamas-leader-killed-in-firefight/

The IDF has announced that 20 have been killed with dozens arrested and under investigation after completing its mission at Shifa Hospital. At least nine bodies have been removed from the hospital as of this post. The IDF has also announced that only one soldier has been killed. However, the Al-Qassam Brigades have counterclaimed that they have caused “deaths and injuries” among the IDF personnel involved in the operation.

Al Jazeera reported that IDF personnel physically assaulted their journalists who were inside the hospital, namely Ismail Al-Ghoul and others. The IDF reportedly arrested these journalists.

🇦🇫 🇵🇰 #Pakistan and #Taliban Exchange Artillery Fire After Pakistani Airstrikes: https://theatlasnews.co/latest/2024/03/18/pakistan-and-taliban-exchange-artillery-fire-after-pakistani-airstrikes/

🇰🇵 #NorthKorea Announce Successful Hypersonic Missile Engine Test: https://theatlasnews.co/latest/2024/03/20/north-korea-announce-successful-hypersonic-missile-engine-test/

🇲🇻 #Maldives Establishes Air Corps and Inducts UAVs into Service: https://theatlasnews.co/latest/2024/03/20/maldives-establishes-air-corps-and-inducts-uavs-into-service/

🇮🇷 🇺🇸 Continued Threat of Iranian Retaliation Against Homeland Over Soleimani Killing, FBI Warns: https://theatlasnews.co/latest/2024/03/20/continued-threat-of-iranian-retaliatory-against-homeland-over-soleimani-killing-fbi-warns/

While speaking to the House Committee on Homeland Security, the assistant director for the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division, Robert Wells, warned that “#Iran continues to plot attacks against former government officials in retaliation for the death of IRGC-QF Commander Qassem Soleimani,” adding that Iran has the capability to conduct cyber attacks and targeted assassinations inside the #UnitedStates.

Back in January 2022, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi vowed “revenge” if former President Donald Trump was not criminally tried in court over the assassination of Soleimani.

While speaking during during commemorations on the two year anniversary of Soelimani’s death, Raisi stated “If Trump and [former Secretary of State Mike] Pompeo are not tried in a fair court for the criminal act of assassinating General Soleimani, Muslims will take our martyr’s revenge,” adding “The aggressor, murderer and main culprit – the then president of the United States – must be tried and judged under the law of retribution, and God’s ruling must be carried out against him.”

This was followed by the release of an animated video threatening to drone strike Trump at Mar-A-Lago, stating “revenge is definite.”

The National Counterterrorism Center reported at the time that “Since January 2021, Tehran has publicly expressed a willingness to conduct lethal operations inside the United States and has consistently identified former President Donald Trump, former Secretary of State Michael Pompeo, and former CENTCOM Commander General Kenneth McKenzie as among its priority targets for retribution.”

“Iran would probably view the killing or prosecution of a US official it considers equivalent in rank and stature to Soleimani or responsible for his death as successful retaliatory actions,” the report added. – Atlas News

🇮🇳 #Indian #ISIS Leaders Captured by Police: https://theatlasnews.co/brief/2024/03/21/indian-isis-leaders-captured-by-police/

🇨🇴 #Colombia’s Largest Narco-Terror Group Agrees to Peace Talks: https://theatlasnews.co/latest/2024/03/21/colombias-largest-narco-terror-group-agrees-to-peace-talks/

🇫🇷 🇷🇺 #French Immigration Court Grants First Amnesty For #Russian Citizen Fleeing Mobilization: https://theatlasnews.co/latest/2024/03/20/french-immigration-grants-first-amnesty-for-russian-citizen-fleeing-mobilization/