Hanwei Global Security Intelligence
Based on security risk assessments, the security levels of various regions are shown on the Global Risk Map. Extremely high-risk areas include Afghanistan, Syria, Myanmar, Pakistan, Nigeria, Sudan, Ukraine, Palestine and Venezuela. Armed conflicts, terrorist attacks and other security incidents occurred frequently in these regions during the period. Chinese-funded enterprises overseas shall strengthen safety precautions.
(This briefing is for internal risk assessment use only.)
Middle East
1. Syria
A bomb attack in the capital killed one person. On May 19, an explosion struck eastern Damascus, Syria, leaving one soldier dead and several injured. Syrian security authorities stated that a car rigged with explosives was detonated near the Weapons Management Center of the Transitional Government’s Ministry of National Defense, causing multiple casualties.
2. Iraq
Four ISIL militants killed in Kirkuk Governorate. On May 23, Iraqi forces launched air strikes and ground operations in northern Kirkuk Governorate, eliminating four militants of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).
Bomb blast kills 3 and injures 4 in Nineveh Governorate. On May 24, while Iraqi counter-terrorism forces were on a mission in desert areas of northern Nineveh Governorate, an explosive device left by ISIL detonated, killing three soldiers and wounding four others.
3. Iran
Ongoing maritime standoff. From May 18 to 24, talks between Iran and the United States remained suspended, with maritime tensions continuing. On May 18, waters near Qeshm Island in Hormozgan Province came under drone attacks, and Iran’s air defense systems intercepted multiple hostile drones. On the same night, U.S. forces seized the oil tanker Tian Bo linked to Iran in the Indian Ocean. On May 19, U.S. Central Command announced the continuation of a full maritime blockade against Iran to block commercial shipments to and from Iranian ports. On May 20, U.S. Marines from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit boarded and ordered an Iranian-flagged oil tanker to alter course in the Gulf of Oman.
Armed attack leaves one dead in Sistan and Baluchestan Province. Media reports on May 20 stated that an armed assault targeting security personnel took place in Saravan, southeastern Sistan and Baluchestan Province, killing one security officer. Armed gunmen opened fire on officers from vehicles on a major highway. Police are now hunting the assailants.
4. Palestine and Israel
According to the latest statistics released by the Gaza Health Ministry on May 23, since the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire deal took effect in October 2025, Israeli operations in Gaza have killed 883 people and injured 2,648 others. Since the large-scale outbreak of the Israel-Palestine conflict on October 7, 2023, Israeli attacks on Gaza have resulted in a total of 72,783 deaths and 172,779 injuries.
5. Lebanon
Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health released figures on May 23, showing that since the resumption of hostilities on March 2, Israeli attacks on Lebanon have killed 3,111 people and injured 9,432.
6. United Arab Emirates
Barakah Nuclear Power Plant comes under attack. On May 19, the UAE Ministry of Defense issued a statement confirming another drone attack on the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant. The UAE air defense systems intercepted six drones launched from Iraq, yet one struck a power generator at the plant. Following the incident, the International Atomic Energy Agency convened an emergency open meeting of the UN Security Council to condemn attacks on peaceful nuclear facilities.
7. Yemen
Houthi forces shoot down a U.S. drone. On May 18, Yemen’s Houthi movement announced it had shot down a U.S. MQ-9 reconnaissance drone operating over Yemen.
8. Turkey
Two shooting incidents leave 8 dead and 9 injured. On May 18, a shooting rampage occurred in Mersin Province, southern Turkey, killing six people and wounding eight. The suspect first shot his ex-wife and another person in Çamlıyayla District, then opened fire on diners at a restaurant in Tarsus District. The perpetrator remains at large. On May 21, a shooting at a hotel in Hendek District, Sakarya Province, killed the hotel owner and one guest and seriously injured another. Three suspects have been detained and an investigation is underway.
Over 100 ISIL suspects arrested. On May 19, Turkish police launched a crackdown across Istanbul, Kocaeli and Bursa Provinces, arresting 110 individuals suspected of supporting ISIL and seizing firearms and ammunition.
Asia-Pacific Region
1. Afghanistan
Severe storms leave 6 dead and 11 injured. On May 21, a spokesperson for Afghanistan’s National Disaster Management Authority stated that lightning strikes, severe storms and floods hit Kandahar, Herat, Ghor and Takhar Provinces over the past 24 hours, causing six deaths and 11 injuries.
2. Pakistan
Multiple attacks kill 5 and injure 4. On May 18, a polio vaccination team was ambushed by unidentified gunmen in Bajaur District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, killing two police officers. On the same day, an improvised explosive device blast at a market in Wana Rustam of the same province killed three people and wounded four. Two liquefied petroleum gas tankers were also attacked and set on fire by terrorists in Kalat, Balochistan Province.
35 terrorists eliminated in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. On May 19 and 23, Pakistani security forces conducted counter-terrorism operations in North Waziristan, Spinwam and Bannu areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, killing 35 terrorists and wounding several others. One Pakistani soldier was killed in the operations.
Bomb attack on passenger train kills 27 and injures 82 in Balochistan. On May 24, a passenger train in southwestern Balochistan Province was bombed, leaving at least 24 dead and 82 injured.
3. Australia
One killed and four injured in Sydney shooting. On May 20, a shooting at a residence in Canley Heights, Sydney, New South Wales, left one person dead and four injured. Police believe the incident may be linked to organized crime, and the motive remains under investigation.
4. Indonesia
Tribal clashes in Papua kill 13 and injure 19. From May 14 to 18, ongoing tribal conflicts erupted in Wamena, Jayawijaya Regency, Papua Province, claiming at least 13 lives and leaving 19 injured. The clashes stemmed from an unresolved compensation dispute over a 2024 traffic accident that killed a local councilor. Failed mediation escalated hostility between tribes and triggered the violence.
5. Japan
Two killed in stabbing attack in Hyogo Prefecture. On May 19, a stabbing incident at a residence in Tatsuno City, Hyogo Prefecture, killed two people. The attacker is still at large, and police have launched an investigation.
Africa
1. Nigeria
Multiple attacks leave 21 dead. According to reports from Hanwei International West Africa security officers: On May 17, armed bandits raided a food market in Guga Village, Bakori Local Government Area, Katsina State, killing at least 10 people. On the same day, clashes between gunmen and local residents broke out in Munsal Ward, Alkaleri Local Government Area, Bauchi State, leaving one dead and two injured. On May 19, armed raiders attacked Damri Town, Bakura Local Government Area, Zamfara State, killing at least 10 security personnel.
2. South Africa
Traffic accident kills 10 in Mpumalanga Province. On May 21, a collision between a minibus and a coach on Road R39 between Standerton and Morgenzon, Mpumalanga Province, killed 10 people. The cause of the accident is yet to be determined, and relevant authorities are conducting an investigation.
3. Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)
Chinese-funded mining company attacked in Likasi, two security guards injured. On May 21, a Chinese-run mining facility in Luisha/Lvsha mining area, Likasi City, Haut-Katanga Province, was robbed by armed groups. Two Chinese security staff sustained minor injuries, with no other Chinese nationals harmed.
Ebola outbreak kills 204 people. On May 18, the DRC’s Minister of Communication and Government Spokesperson Muyaya stated that a new Ebola outbreak in Ituri Province, eastern DRC, continues to spread, with cases reported across Ituri and neighboring North Kivu Province. As of May 23, the country has recorded 867 suspected Ebola cases and 204 fatalities.
4. Sudan
On May 19, a drone attack on a market in Kabush, West Kordofan State, western Sudan, killed at least 28 people and wounded dozens. Frequent drone strikes in Darfur have displaced thousands of residents. The United Nations warned recently that the prolonged conflict has plunged millions of Sudanese into a humanitarian crisis: aid corridors are blocked, the healthcare system is nearly paralyzed, and cholera and other infectious diseases are spreading rapidly.
5. Mozambique
Armed attacks cause heavy casualties in Cabo Delgado. On May 19, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs stated that extremist armed groups in northern Cabo Delgado Province have launched frequent assaults on villages, checkpoints and major roads, killing and injuring numerous civilians and forcing evacuations in remote settlements.
Europe & Americas
1. United States
Three shooting incidents kill 7 people. On May 18, a shooting outside a mosque in San Diego County, California, left three dead; the two gunmen later took their own lives. On May 19, one person was killed in a shooting in the 3000 block of Grant Street, Home Gardens, Riverside County, California. On May 23, a shooting broke out near the White House in Washington D.C. The suspect opened fire at a Secret Service checkpoint and was shot dead by agents. This marked the third shooting near the White House within a month.
Stampede injures 19 in South Carolina. On May 24, a stampede occurred at Atlantic Beach, Horry County, South Carolina, leaving 19 people injured.
2. Ukraine
Ukraine’s General Staff said Ukrainian troops shifted from defense to partial counteroffensives this week. Ukrainian forces launched precision strikes with rockets and suicide drones against Russian command posts, ammunition depots, fuel storage sites and troop concentrations, recapturing five residential areas in Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson Oblasts. Ukraine also continued long-range attacks on refineries, ammunition depots, radar systems and other key facilities inside Russia and Russian-controlled territories.
3. Peru
Government official killed in shooting in Piura Region. On May 21, a municipal official Víctor Febre was shot dead in northern Piura Region. The assailant, wearing a helmet, fired multiple shots at the victim and fled on a motorcycle. This was the third killing of a municipal official in Peru this year. An investigation is underway.
4. Russia
Ukrainian drone attacks kill 26 and injure many. On May 18, Moscow came under a large-scale Ukrainian drone attack, killing three civilians and damaging multiple buildings, residential blocks and infrastructure. On May 21, a Ukrainian drone strike triggered a major fire at the Syzran Oil Refinery in Samara Oblast, southwestern Russia, leaving two dead and many injured. On May 22, Ukrainian drones struck the teaching buildings and dormitories of Starobelsk Vocational College overnight, killing 21 people and wounding 39 others. There were 86 minors aged 14 to 18 on campus at the time. The acting head of Luhansk announced May 24 and 25 as days of mourning for the victims.
Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant targeted by Ukrainian drones. On May 23, at least ten Ukrainian drones attacked the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, damaging eight buses in the transport workshop. No casualties were reported.
5. Honduras
Two armed attacks kill 25 people. On May 21, two armed assaults in northern Honduras left at least 25 dead, including six police officers. The first attack took place at a palm plantation in Trujillo, Colón Department, where 19 workers were shot dead. The second occurred in Omoa, Cortés Department near the Guatemala border, where gunmen ambushed police conducting anti-gang operations and killed six officers.
6. Colombia
Tribal clashes kill 6 in Cauca Department. From May 21 to 22, tribal violence erupted in Silvia, western Cauca Department, killing six people and injuring over 100. The clashes broke out over land disputes between the Misak and Nasa indigenous communities. The Colombian government has deployed troops to restore order.
7. France
Football fan unrest injures 6 in Paris. On May 21, fan riots broke out in Paris, leaving six people injured and 65 detained by police. Around 100 supporters of OGC Nice clashed with passers-by, and a large police force was deployed to contain the situation.
8. Spain
Two killed and four injured in shooting in El Ejido. On May 18, a shooting incident in El Ejido, southern Spain, killed two people and wounded four. Police preliminarily linked the case to domestic violence.
