Israel has not commented on the attacks that killed 37 people and wounded nearly 3,000 over two days but has said it will widen the scope of its war in Gaza to include the Lebanon front.

“Such terrorist acts, that are undoubtedly due to the desperation and successive failures of the Zionist regime, will soon be met with a crushing response from the resistance front,” Guards commander General Hossein Salami said in a message to Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, quoted by state media.

The resistance front led by Iran includes Tehran-backed groups across the Middle East, including Lebanon’s Hezbollah, Yemen’s Houthi rebels, and Shiite armed groups in Iraq as well as Palestinian militant group Hamas.

In April, Iran fired hundreds of missiles and drones at Israel, after it bombed an annex of the Iranian embassy in Damascus, killing seven Revolutionary Guards, two of them generals.

Most were intercepted by allied air forces or Israel’s own air defenses.

The post Iran Warns Israel of ‘Crushing Response’ to Lebanon Device Blasts appeared first on The Defense Post.

Managed by the army’s Humanitarian Demining Research and Development, BORIS is modern software designed for civilian bomb disposal missions.

It features scanning, identification, visualization, data processing, and range estimation to aid technicians and engineers in associated tasks.

It has a graphical user interface that supports information relay with a variety of sensor platforms and enables coordination across field squad members with different levels of expertise.

Moreover, the tool incorporates an automatic target recognition function to streamline sensor data, amplifying detection sensitivity and decreasing false alarms for faster clearing operations.

Addressing Next-Gen Threats

BORIS has been active for over a decade in different non-military humanitarian mine organizations across the Middle East, Asia, and Europe, including Ukraine.

Other applications BORIS has been deployed for include bomb test sites and munitions development.

Scientific Systems noted that the technology has covered thousands of unexploded ordnance throughout “millions of square meters of land” to date.

“In the wake of conflicts, the remnants of war including undetonated bombs and other explosives have triggered humanitarian crises by blocking access to aid, preventing families from returning home and killing innocent civilians,” Scientific Systems President Kunal Mehra stated.

“Clearing former battlefields of explosives has long been dangerous and painstaking work, but game changing new technology is helping to make this process more effective, efficient, and safer.”

“Our BORIS software has played its part in this effort by providing governments and humanitarian organizations with a powerful tool to remove unexploded ordnance and help people across the globe rebuild their lives after the battle has ended.” 

“We are proud to continue our work with the United States Army to upgrade BORIS to help address a new generation of unexploded threats on the battlefield and in the aftermath of conflicts.”

The post Massachusetts Firm to Modernize US Army BORIS Anti-Explosives Software appeared first on The Defense Post.

The six enlisted men and one officer were killed by an “improvised explosive device” in Lakki Marwat district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the military said in a statement.

A senior police officer stationed in Lakki Marwat told AFP that “the explosion completely destroyed the vehicle.”

“We have received information that the vehicle came under fire after the blast,” he added, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Mountainous Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has long been a hive of Islamic militant groups including the Pakistani Taliban and the local chapter of the Islamic State group.

“Lakki Marwat is one of the districts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa most affected by terrorism,” the senior police officer told AFP.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for Sunday’s attack.

The Pakistani Taliban — known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) — is the most active militant group in the area and regularly targets security forces.

Attacks have spiked in Pakistan since the Taliban returned to power in neighboring Afghanistan in August 2021.

Last year, 29 suicide attacks were registered — the most since 2014 — killing 329 people, according to the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies.

Islamabad accuses Kabul’s new rulers of failing to root out militants sheltering on Afghan soil as they prepare to stage attacks on Pakistan.

The Taliban government has repeatedly denied the allegations, and said it will not allow Afghan territory to host foreign militants.

However analysts say the TTP share a common lineage and ideology with the Afghan Taliban.

In January 2023, the TTP was linked to a mosque suicide bombing in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial capital of Peshawar which killed more than 80 police officers.

In September, Pakistan said four troops were killed during a cross-border raid by “hundreds” of TTP fighters in Chitral, an area popular with domestic tourists.

The post Seven Pakistan Soldiers Killed in Bombing: Army appeared first on The Defense Post.

The resulting technology will be integrated into unmanned ground vehicles used by explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) personnel to decrease bomb risks.

Once completed, the component is expected to boost the performance of counter-IED robots while ensuring “precision and safety” for operating teams.

“Precision is everything for an EOD technician because there is no margin for error,” 99th Civil Engineer Squadron EOD Leader Tech Sgt. Daniel Trombone stated.

“It is critical that they solve as many problems as possible with their robot before directly exposing themselves to the danger.”

Mitigating ‘Unnecessary Risks’

The US Air Force wrote that current anti-explosive robots have no equipment to calculate the depth of an environment. They depend on attached two-dimensional cameras and associated displays to complete missions.

The inability of drones to process three-dimensional data causes “unnecessary risks” for EOD teams and civilian bomb squads, the agency said.

To address this concern, the service’s upcoming technology will combine infrared sensors and LED lights for enhanced spatial awareness, enabling operators to pilot drones more effectively through complex terrain.

Trombone added that the platform is cost-effective compared to existing optical solutions, such as stereoscopic cameras that are “more expensive, susceptible to jamming, and more complicated to repair in the field.”

Tech Connect Program

The effort, now in its prototyping phase, is being facilitated by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and its innovation arm AFWERX.

It was organized under the Air and Space Force Tech Connect, a US Department of Defense program fostering industrial and academic collaboration to modernize and fill gaps in tactical systems supporting America’s national defense strategy.

“Most of us don’t realize how impactful Tech Connect is,” AFRL Sensors Directorate Senior Electronics Engineer Dr. Mohammad Imran Vakil said.

“[We] can directly have a conversation with engineers and scientists to evaluate if their technology will be a good fit for our needs.”

The project’s next phase will refine the prototype using more advanced electronics, focusing on making the system smaller, more accurate, and suited for long-term manufacturing.

The post US Air Force to Equip Anti-Explosive Robots With Infrared Sensors appeared first on The Defense Post.

Pakistani districts along the border with Afghanistan have seen a dramatic spike in attacks since the Taliban returned to power there in 2021.

Islamabad claims Kabul is sheltering allied militants such as the TTP — also known as the Pakistan Taliban — allowing them to strike on its soil with impunity.

The TTP said in a statement it had “successfully detonated a mine on a police” vehicle in Bajaur district, around 14 kilometres (nine miles) from the Afghan border.

“A police truck transporting around 25 policemen for anti-polio campaign duties was targeted by an IED (improvised explosive device),” Anwar ul Haq, a senior government official in Bajaur district, told AFP.

He said five officers were killed and at least 20 others wounded.

Kashif Zulfiqar, a senior police officer in the district, confirmed the death toll from the attack, which occurred in the rural area of Mamund.

In its statement, the TTP said claims the attack was associated with the polio vaccination campaign were “entirely false.”

Scores Killed

Islamist militants, including the TTP, have killed scores of polio vaccination workers and their security escorts in the past.

Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only countries where the debilitating virus, which can cause lifelong disability, remains endemic.

Pakistan had six reported cases in 2023, and Monday marked the start of a nationwide drive to vaccinate millions of children.

Opposition to inoculation grew after the US Central Intelligence Agency organized a fake vaccination drive to help track down Al-Qaeda’s former leader Osama bin Laden in Pakistan.

Firebrand clerics in the border region with Afghanistan have also spread misinformation that doses of the oral vaccine contain traces of pork and alcohol, which are forbidden by Islam.

Pakistan is due to hold a delayed general election on February 8, as the country grapples with overlapping security, economic and political crises.

Last year saw casualties hit a six-year high, with more than 1,500 civilians, security forces and militants killed, according to the Islamabad-based Center for Research and Security Studies.

Afghanistan’s Taliban government has routinely denied giving militants sanctuary.

But a UN Security Council report said last year there were between 4,000 and 6,000 TTP fighters in Afghanistan who “the Taliban have harbored and allowed active support of.”

The post Pakistan Taliban Blast Kills Five Police Protecting Polio Teams appeared first on The Defense Post.

The one-week exercise involved personnel from the Iowa National Guard’s 71st Civil Support Team (CST) and the Kosovo Security Force HAZMAT Company.

This training is part of the US Department of Defense program to enhance interoperability between military, security, and public safety agency partners.

Finding Explosives, Radiological Threats

During the activity, the Kosovar soldiers were tasked to find planted HAZMAT scenarios.

Threats across the arena comprised homemade explosive devices hidden in a locker room and a backpack containing radiological exposure.

Missions included identifying the articles using clues provided and detecting them without endangering other personnel.

Supporting Kosovar Counterparts

The training supports Kosovo in expanding the HAZMAT Company and combining their expertise with other safety organizations, such as fire departments, the US Army wrote.

To date, the company is responsible for assessing hazardous scenarios and disposal of related substances for the Kosovor military.

While having similar capabilities, the 71st CST works with larger groups, including the US Defense Threat Reduction Agency, law enforcement agencies, and other HAZMAT specialists, on situations concerning chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear materials.

“The main difference between the Kosovo Security Force HAZMAT Company and us is that they don’t have any HAZMAT support. Whereas in Iowa, we have HAZMAT teams all over the place,” 71st CST 2nd Lt. James Leaman explained.

“The big thing that we are getting from this, that can be missed by some people, is that we are learning from them as well.”

“They respond to more things in their [country] than we ever do in the state.”

The post US National Guard, Kosovo Security Forces Train Hazardous Material Ops appeared first on The Defense Post.

NGABS are wearable equipment designed to shield warfighters during Improvised Explosive Device (EOD) disposals and other related missions.

Under the five-year agreement, the company will manufacture and deliver more than 700 NGABs.

The tech will replace the service’s existing Advanced Bomb Suits that have been in service for two decades.

Once completed, the NGABS will be shipped to the army’s Product Manager Soldier Protective Equipment (PM SPE) office in Fort Belvoir, Virginia.

“NGABS is a great program for us to partner with the US Army on as it embodies the type of mission readiness that we are enthusiastic about helping our customers be equipped with,” QinetiQ US President and CEO Shawn Purvis said.

“Enabling the PM SPE team to be equipped with what it needs to provide enhanced protection for various situations globally that ultimately leads to increased survivability of the force is an honor, and we are proud to do it.”

Increased Mobility, Survivability

According to QinetiQ, utilizing NGABS reinforces soldier preparedness in responding to evolving explosive threats.

Each NGABS offers 360-degree ballistic protection and boosts situational awareness in low/no light operations through the integration of a heads-up display and modular sensor suite.

“The EOD Soldiers have one of the most life-threatening jobs in the military and we are honored to partner with the US Army PM SPE to provide the technology and hardware that will protect these soldiers so they can complete their missions safely and securely,” QinetiQ US Executive VP Steve Iwicki stated.

“Our team has worked diligently to enhance the NGABS soldier experience through increased mobility and survivability in the construction of the suit.”

The post QinetiQ to Deliver Bomb Suit Replacements for US Army appeared first on The Defense Post.

The Weapons Technical Intelligence (WTI) enables users to collect, track, and analyze IED threats according to tactical, technical, and forensic approaches, consolidating each component and recovering traces of materials used in handling and building IEDs.

The WTI can also support non-tactical tasks such as natural disaster missions.

Each laboratory has chemical, biological, electronic, and technical operations capabilities. They incorporate a triage facility, a command and control room, and protective storage for evidence and hazardous materials.

The systems shipped to Australia are encased in ISO 20 military standard container shelters compatible with logistics vehicles in service with the Australian Defence Force.

“The real value of this system lies in the fact that it provides state-of-the-art equipment and operating methods in a modular and scalable deployment configuration,” Indra WTI Project Manager Adam Taylor explained.

“The laboratory thus provides the operation’s commanders with rapid and actionable intelligence on the improvised explosive devices in situ, which could allow them to enter the attack cycle of their adversaries.”

“It’s an intrusive but non-destructive process, so it allows for deeper subsequent detonation.”

Local Industry Cooperation

Over 90 percent of the project was completed in Australia. The two WTI labs were delivered with the support of local equipment developers and distributors.

“Indra Australia has continued to reinforce its cooperation with Daronmont Technologies and Zenith Custom Creations to manufacture the laboratories in Australia,” the company said.

“In addition, Indra has leveraged the global experience acquired in other programs further enhancing the collective capabilities in the country to provide deployable infrastructures to the Australian Armed Forces.”

“This will guarantee exceptionally high levels of Australian industrial capability in the content of the program.”

The post Australian Army Receives Deployable Counter-Explosive Laboratories appeared first on The Defense Post.

The Joint Counter Radio-Controlled Improvised Explosive Device (RCIED) Electronic Warfare (JCREW) consists of mounted, dismounted, and fixed site configurations to protect mobility assets, foot soldiers, and military sites from radio-enabled explosives.

JCREW can be integrated with ground vehicles and carried by personnel as manpack equipment.

The platform can also be installed in temporary, semi-permanent, and permanent locations, including buildings, airfields, compounds, and guard posts.

Maintaining Commitment to Warfighters

JCREW comprises a complete government-owned technical data package, upgradable hardware, software, and its own evaluation system to ensure operational readiness without external test equipment.

Following the program’s success, fleet operators are now being trained to control and sustain the JCREW platform.

In addition, a supply support facility and a government-owned depot were established to execute repairs on the system.

The US Navy, Air Force, New Zealand, and Australia are currently using the JCREW.

“The … program achieving full operational capability shows our commitment to the warfighter, who can now fully employ this technology in multiple domains to counter threats from RCIEDs,” Expeditionary Missions Program Manager Capt. Jon Haase stated.

The post US Navy’s Anti-Improvised Explosives Technology Achieves Operational Capability appeared first on The Defense Post.

A government security official told AFP on condition of anonymity that “an arms dealer was killed along with his wife and five of his children (…) and another eighth person inside the family’s home while dismantling a projectile left over from the war.”

Another security official confirmed the death toll of the incident, which took place on Tuesday in Marib, northern Yemen.

The conflict in Yemen has rumbled on since 2014, when Iran-backed Houthi rebels seized the capital Sanaa.

A Saudi-led military coalition intervened the following year on the side of the country’s internationally recognized government.

Hundreds of thousands of people have died in the fighting or from indirect causes such as lack of food in what the United Nations has called one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.

A six-month truce brokered by the United Nations expired in October last year, but fighting has largely remained on hold.

In a separate incident, an official in the government forces reported that four Yemeni soldiers were killed Tuesday evening when two IEDs “planted by the Houthis on the main road” exploded and hit a number of military vehicles on their way back from one of the fronts near Taiz.

The government military official said “the Houthis infiltrated the road and planted four explosive devices” and were able to detonate two of them as the military vehicles passed by.

And in Abyan, southern Yemen, two officers and a soldier in the government forces were killed Tuesday evening by an IED planted by unknown gunmen, believed to be from al-Qaeda, according to a military official.

According to the official, Abyan has been witnessing “security operations and confrontations between al-Qaeda members and security forces” for weeks.

The post 8 Civilians, 7 Soldiers Killed in Separate Yemen Blasts appeared first on The Defense Post.