Hanwei Global Security Brief
This issue compiles global security intelligence updates from 19 October to 25 October 2026. Based on security risk assessments, the security risk levels for all regions are shown on the Global Risk Map. Afghanistan, Syria, Myanmar, Pakistan, Nigeria, Sudan, Ukraine, Palestine, Venezuela and other areas are classified as Extreme Risk Zones. During this period, armed conflicts, terrorist attacks and other security incidents occurred frequently in these regions. Chinese-funded enterprises operating overseas shall strengthen their security precautions.(This brief is for internal risk assessment of our company only)
Middle East
(1) Syria
Israeli military strike kills one civilian. On 22 October, Israeli forces launched a military operation in the western countryside of Daraa Governorate, southern Syria, leaving one civilian dead. On the same day, Israeli troops fired at a residential building; one civilian strayed into the area where Israeli vehicles were positioned and was shot dead.
Security operation leaves 2 dead and 5 injured. On 22 October, Syrian security forces conducted an operation against the terrorist organization Islamic State in the western part of Rif Dimashq Governorate. Clashes killed two security personnel and wounded five others.
(2) Iraq
Armed attack hits Kirkuk Governorate. On 22 October, the Popular Mobilization Forces came under attack by Islamic State militants in Danadish, north of Hawijah District, Kirkuk Governorate. No casualties have been reported so far.
(3) Iran
Ongoing standoff with the United States in the Strait of Hormuz. From 19 to 25 October, Iran and the United States remained locked in a standoff in the Strait of Hormuz. On the US side, US Central Command stated that its maritime blockade targeting Iran had reached the 100-day mark, during which around USD 25 billion worth of Iranian crude oil exports were disrupted. On 23 October, Michael Waltz, US Permanent Representative to the United Nations, said the US was prepared for a prolonged standoff with Iran. On the Iranian side: On 19 October, the Air Defense Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) shot down a US MQ-9 Reaper drone over the Strait of Hormuz. Between 21 and 23 October, the IRGC Navy targeted four vessels carrying oil cargo in violation of regulations in the Persian Gulf. Seven additional tankers attempting to sail via unauthorized routes south of the Strait of Hormuz struck mines and caught fire. On 24 October, Major General Ali Abdollahi, Chief of the General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, stated that Iranian forces had successfully contained the US Navy, preventing it from approaching waters near the Persian Gulf or Iranian territorial seas. Under no circumstances will Iran permit US naval vessels to enter the Persian Gulf.
(4) Palestine and Israel
The Israel-Palestine conflict has killed 74,400 people in the Gaza Strip. From 19 to 25 October, Israel carried out strikes across multiple locations in Gaza, causing numerous casualties. Notably on 20 October, Israeli attacks hit Khan Yunis in southern Gaza and eastern Gaza City, killing at least four Palestinians and wounding many more. Figures released by the Gaza Health Ministry on the 25th show that since the ceasefire agreement took effect on 10 October 2025, 1,551 Palestinians have been killed and 5,573 injured in Israeli military operations. Since the outbreak of the latest round of Israel-Palestine conflict in October 2023, Israeli military operations in Gaza have killed 74,408 people and injured 175,516.
Attack in the West Bank leaves 2 dead and 5 injured. On 23 October, an attack near Hebron in the southern West Bank wounded five Israelis. Two Palestinian attackers were shot dead by Israeli forces. Israel stated the incident took place at the junction of Route 35 near Hebron. Israeli soldiers returned fire after coming under attack, killing the two Palestinian gunmen and launching a manhunt.
(5) Saudi Arabia
Houthi attacks cause 2 deaths and 14 injuries. On 19 October, a residential area in Najran, southwestern Saudi Arabia, was struck by Houthi forces, leaving six people injured and damaging three homes and three vehicles. On 22 October, missile and drone attacks by the Houthis targeted the Ministry of Defence in Riyadh, King Fahd International Airport in Dammam (Eastern Province), Abha International Airport in the southwest, and Saudi Aramco facilities in Yanbu, a western port city. The strikes killed two people, injured eight, damaged multiple sites and triggered fires. On 24 October, the Yemeni Houthi movement claimed it had launched seven missile and drone attacks against airports, oil installations and military bases inside Saudi Arabia, in retaliation for Saudi strikes on Houthi-controlled areas over the preceding 24 hours.
(6) Yemen
Missile attack on a military base in Shabwah Governorate kills 53. On 19 October, a military base in southeastern Shabwah Governorate, Yemen, was hit by a Houthi missile strike, killing 53 people and injuring more than 200. Newly recruited security personnel were undergoing training at the base when the attack occurred. On 21 October, a ballistic missile launched by the Houthis struck the “Saudi Military Operations Command Room” at the Badr Military Base in Aden, a southern Yemeni port city. No casualties have been reported.
Saudi strikes cause 562 casualties. On 22 October, Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree stated that Saudi Arabia had carried out more than 2,900 air and missile strikes against Yemen over the past 100 days, killing or injuring at least 562 people, most of them women and children.
(7) Jordan
Church shooting in Karak Governorate kills 7 and injures 40. On 23 October, a shooting took place inside a church in Karak Governorate, southern Jordan, leaving seven dead and forty injured. A funeral service was underway when unidentified gunmen opened fire inside the church, inflicting heavy casualties. King Abdullah II of Jordan said the same day that the shooting was a terrorist attack carried out by an extremist group. Authorities are pursuing the suspects. Jordan declared a three-day national mourning period starting 23 October, with flags flown at half-mast at all government and public buildings.
Site of the attacked church
Asia-Pacific
(1) Afghanistan
Armed assault in Parwan Governorate kills 3 and injures 2. On 20 October, a security checkpoint in Pul-e-Matak, Parwan Governorate, Afghanistan, was attacked by militants, killing three people and wounding two. The Afghanistan Freedom Front (AFF) claimed responsibility for the attack.
(2) Pakistan
Counter-terror operation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa kills six. On 22 October, Pakistani police launched a counter-terror sweep operation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and killed two terrorists. Subsequent clashes left four police officers dead. The clearance operation is ongoing.
Border crossing attack kills one civilian. On 22 October, the Gabd border checkpoint in Gwadar came under armed attack, killing one civilian and damaging several vehicles. Pakistani security forces immediately launched counter-terror operations in the area and eliminated ten terrorists.
(3) Philippines
Shooting in Agusan del Sur kills one and injures two. On 24 October, a shooting incident occurred in Talacogon, Agusan del Sur, on Mindanao island in the southern Philippines, leaving one dead and two injured. In the early hours of the day, three victims were walking home when they were ambushed by an unidentified gunman. The suspect remains at large, and police are working to identify the perpetrator.
Mid-air collision of military trainer jets kills four pilots. On 23 October, two Philippine Air Force SF-260 trainer aircraft collided during a training flight in Batangas Province, Luzon, killing all four pilots.
(4) Japan
Tokyo rally against military expansion and constitutional revision. On 19 October, Japanese citizens staged a protest rally in front of the National Diet Building in Tokyo, opposing the government led by Sanae Takaichi over its push for military build-up and constitutional revision. That evening, around 10,000 protesters held banners and chanted slogans, demanding that the House of Representatives halt work on drafting revised constitutional provisions. More than 300 protest events were held across Japan on the same day in solidarity with the Tokyo gathering.
Tokyo protest rally outside the Japanese National Diet
(5) Australia
Shooting in Queensland leaves four injured. On 24 October, a shooting incident in Logan City, Queensland, Australia, wounded four people, one critically. The gunman opened fire at a liquor outlet before fleeing by vehicle. Investigations into the motive are underway.
Africa
(1) Nigeria
Series of attacks leave 7 dead and 6 abducted. According to monitoring reports from Hanwei International’s West Africa Security Officer: On 20 October, the Kufana Ward community of Mararaban Kajuru in Kajuru Local Government Area, Kaduna State, was raided by suspected bandits, and five people were kidnapped. On 21 October, a newly recruited teacher was ambushed on the Gundumi–Isa highway in Sokoto State while travelling by vehicle; three people were killed. From 20 to 22 October, the Birnin Tudu community in Gummi Local Government Area, Zamfara State, came under repeated attacks by motorbike-riding bandits over three consecutive days, leaving three dead and four injured. Police engaged the attackers and killed approximately 30 bandits. On 23 October, an officer of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps was shot dead near his residence in Pushit community, Mangu Local Government Area, Plateau State, while a businessman was abducted.
(2) South Africa
Fatal assault on a foreign national in Durban. On 22 October, a mob attack targeting a foreign national took place in central Durban, South Africa, killing one person. Police stated that as a march passed through downtown Durban, two men approached a foreign national in his 30s by the roadside, after which around 50 people joined the assault and beat him to death. The nationality of the deceased and the motive remain undisclosed.
(3) Democratic Republic of the Congo
Ebola outbreak kills 4,687. On 20 October, an epidemiological report released by the DRC Ministry of Health showed that the cumulative confirmed cases in the current Ebola outbreak had exceeded 9,704, with 4,687 fatalities. The outbreak has spread to eight out of the country’s 26 provinces. The latest bulletin issued by the WHO Regional Office for Africa on the 21st noted a resurgence of the DRC Ebola outbreak with rising new confirmed cases. The virus is also spreading to other African nations, further complicating containment efforts.
(4) Sudan
Armed conflict continues. From 19 to 25 October, the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces sustained clashes across multiple locations in Sudan. This week fighting was concentrated in North Kordofan, South Kordofan and the Darfur region. Both sides carried out drone strikes against each other, causing civilian casualties. On 19 October, the capital Khartoum was hit by drone attacks that killed four people including three children. Khartoum International Airport was also struck by a drone on the same day, killing one person and inflicting severe damage to the airport. On 20 October, multiple locations in West Kordofan were targeted by drone strikes, killing nine people. On 22 October, the International Committee of the Red Cross issued a statement saying numerous airstrikes in Sudan in recent weeks had killed hundreds and heavily damaged residential areas, markets and displacement camps.
(5) Mali
Village attack in Ménaka Region kills 48. Media reports on 20 October stated that a village in Ménaka Region, northeastern Mali, was attacked on the 18th, leaving at least 48 dead and many injured. A communiqué from the village ethnic group said Islamic State militants arrived on motorcycles and attacked civilians. Many families were forced to flee their homes.
(6) Niger
Bus ambush kills at least 11. On 20 October, two passenger buses were attacked by armed militants in the Agadez region of northern Niger. At least 11 people were killed and many wounded. Gunmen blocked the buses on the RN25 main road and opened fire. No group has claimed responsibility.
(7) Ethiopia
Ethnic clashes kill nine. Between 21 and 24 October, clashes between the Oromo and Somali ethnic groups erupted in Moyale on the Ethiopia-Kenya border, killing at least nine people and injuring around 30. Officials from Marsabit County, Kenya, reported that at least 2,500 Ethiopian residents had crossed into Kenyan Moyale to seek refuge. One Kenyan national was also wounded.
Europe and the Americas
(1) United States
Four shooting incidents leave 1 dead and 2 injured. On 19 October, a shooting at the 4200 block of South Hydraulic Street, Wichita, Kansas, left one person critically injured. On 20 October, a shooting occurred outside the Kluczynski Federal Building in the Loop, downtown Chicago; no casualties were reported and the suspect was arrested. On the same day, a shooting near a mosque in Columbus, Ohio, killed one person and wounded another. On 24 October, a shooting at a university in Florida caused multiple injuries.
(2) Ukraine
Russia-Ukraine armed conflict persists. From 19 to 25 October, hostilities between Russia and Ukraine continued. The Russian Ministry of Defence reported that over the past week, Russian forces used ground-based precision weapons, long-range attack drones and missiles to strike 147 Ukrainian sites including energy and transport infrastructure, storage and launch positions for long-range drones, and temporary military deployment points. Russian air defences shot down 2 Storm Shadow cruise missiles, 6 Neptune missiles and 5,297 fixed-wing drones. Russian forces seized control of eight settlements in the Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia directions. On the Ukrainian side, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine stated that nearly a thousand combat engagements took place along the frontline this week. Ukraine’s air force, missile and artillery units struck two Russian troop and equipment concentration zones, seven artillery pieces, three drone command posts and other key targets. Ukrainian forces destroyed 64 Russian artillery systems, eight ground robotic systems and 6,855 drones. Ukraine continued using long-range drones and missiles to hit rear military installations, fuel depots and other energy facilities inside Russia. Separately, on 22 October, Russia and Ukraine exchanged the bodies of fallen service members: Russia handed over 252 bodies to Ukraine, and Ukraine returned 25 bodies to Russia.
(3) Russia
Drone attack on Moscow injures two. Between 21 and 22 October, the Russian capital Moscow came under a large-scale drone assault, leaving two people injured. The Russian Ministry of Defence said that overnight on 21–22 October, 630 Ukrainian drones targeted the Moscow area. The vast majority were destroyed by air defences at long range, and 163 were intercepted as they approached Moscow. Emergency teams are clearing drone wreckage.
(4) France
Shooting in Yvelines kills one and injures four. On 23 October, a shooting incident in Yvelines, France, killed one person and wounded four. The suspect has been arrested. The assailant fired repeatedly from a vehicle onto a public road. The French National Anti-Terrorist Prosecutor’s Office has opened an investigation for murder and attempted murder linked to terrorist activities.
New wave of demonstrations. On 24 October, renewed protests broke out across France. Demonstrators demanded government action to address housing shortages, high living costs and other public grievances. Around 410,000 people joined marches nationwide. Confrontations with security forces occurred in multiple locations; 75 fires were reported, 24 shops were looted and 53 law enforcement officers were injured. The French government deployed 70,000 police and gendarmes to maintain order, and roughly 1,314 arrests were made.
Police presence at the protest in Paris
(5) Ecuador
Prison riots kill 8 and injure 10. On 22 October, riots broke out in two prisons in Ecuador, killing eight inmates and wounding ten. The facilities are located in Quito, the capital, and Latacunga, capital of Cotopaxi Province. The cause of the unrest remains under investigation.
(6) Haiti
Armoured vehicle ambush near Port-au-Prince leaves four missing. Media reports on 20 October stated that an armoured vehicle belonging to anti-gang forces was ambushed near Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on the 18th, and four Salvadoran soldiers on board went missing. The vehicle was returning to base after an operation when it came under gunfire and explosive attack. The four soldiers jumped out and lost contact. On 19 October, Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesman for the UN Secretary-General, condemned the attack and called for the immediate and safe release of the personnel.
(7) Italy
Protests trigger clashes between police and demonstrators. On 24 October, demonstrations were held across Italy against rising living costs and military expansion. In Rome, Turin, Bologna and other cities, some protesters clashed with police, leaving six people injured. Italian authorities have boosted police deployment in key cities to respond to violent acts.
(8) Colombia
Ten anti-government militants killed. On 25 October, Colombian President Gustavo Petro stated that the military and police had recently carried out a joint operation in Cauca Province, southwestern Colombia, killing ten members of the National Liberation Army (ELN), including two senior commanders, and seizing firearms and ammunition.
Maritime Security
(1) Strait of Hormuz
Multiple tankers struck or mined. On 20 October, the IRGC stated that two tankers operating in violation of regulations struck mines while attempting to sail via an unauthorized southern route in the Strait of Hormuz, triggering explosions, fires and forced stoppages. On 21 October, three non-compliant vessels hit mines and caught fire west of the Strait of Hormuz. On 22 October, the IRGC Navy reported that it targeted four vessels carrying oil cargo in violation of regulations in the Persian Gulf, setting the ships ablaze.
(2) Greece
Vessel collision kills six. On 19 October, a migrant-carrying boat collided with a Greek coast guard vessel near Lesbos Island in eastern Greece close to the Turkish coast. Six people including an infant died, and eight were rescued. The cause of the collision is under investigation.
(3) Black Sea
Drone strike on merchant ship kills one and leaves three missing. On 23 October, a merchant vessel flying the flag of the Comoros was hit by a drone and sank in the Black Sea. One crew member was killed and three were reported missing. Thirteen sailors were on board in total, and nine were rescued.
