January 15th Global Conflict Report (Everything that happened on the 14th)

Good morning! We're The Frontline Report. We aim to deliver daily reports on all global conflict-related events that happened the previous day. Here's today's report:

Verified from the 13th: 44+ killed, 70+ injured across 8 countries

Summary

Hamas commander killed in Gaza airstrike. Iran UN emergency session on 2,400-12,000+ protest deaths. Haiti drone strike on gang leader's compound. Uganda elections under internet blackout. Pakistan kills 13 TTP militants. NATO deploys to Greenland.

95+ killed | 20+ countries

MIDDLE EAST & NORTH AFRICA

Israeli forces killed Hamas commander Muhammad al-Hawli in an airstrike on his Deir al-Balah home on January 15, killing 6 including his wife, daughter, and a 16-year-old child. Hamas called it a ceasefire violation. US envoy Steve Witkoff announced Phase 2 of Trump's 20-point Gaza plan focused on demilitarization and technocratic governance. Egypt hosted first meeting of 15-member Palestinian governance committee.

Israeli aircraft struck Bekaa Valley villages Machghara and Sohmor targeting Hezbollah infrastructure. Over 300 killed in Lebanon since November 2024 ceasefire, including 127 civilians per UN. UN Security Council held emergency session on Iran's protest crackdown. US sanctioned 5 Iranian officials. Iran deployed GPS jammers against Starlink terminals. USS Abraham Lincoln repositioned toward Middle East.

EUROPE

Russia launched 82 Shahed drones overnight January 14-15, with 61 destroyed but 21 striking 13 locations across Ukraine. One killed in Kherson Oblast shelling. One killed and 6 injured in Zaporizhzhia guided bomb attack. Seven injured including 4 children in Sumy drone strikes. Russian ballistic missile struck Chornomorsk port, hitting Malta-flagged vessel causing oil spill.

Ukrainian Khartiia Brigade reported killing ~70 Russian soldiers while repelling week-long assault north of Kharkiv. Zelenskyy declared energy sector emergency with 471 Kyiv buildings still without heat at -19°C. NATO launched Steadfast Dart 26 exercises. European NATO nations deployed troops to Greenland: Germany 13, France ~15, Sweden, Norway, Netherlands in response to US annexation threats.

AMERICAS

Senate Republicans blocked bipartisan war powers resolution 50-50, VP Vance cast deciding vote. Would have required congressional approval for further Venezuela military action after January 3 operation that killed 80 including 32 Cuban soldiers. Cuba held mass funeral and repatriated remains January 15. Acting President Rodríguez announced oil sector reforms allowing foreign investment.

Haitian forces conducted unprecedented drone strike January 15 bombing gang leader Jimmy "Barbecue" Cherizier's three houses in Port-au-Prince Delmas 6. Operation involved National Police, Armed Forces, UN-backed force, and Blackwater founder Erik Prince's contractor Vectus Global. Casualties unknown. Federal ICE agent shot Venezuelan national in Minneapolis around 6:50 PM during arrest. Trump threatened Insurrection Act deployment.

SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA

Egyptian-mediated Sudan peace talks resumed in Cairo with both sides present. First humanitarian convoy in months reached besieged el-Fasher in North Darfur. Uganda held presidential elections January 15 under nationwide internet blackout. Museveni (81) vs Bobi Wine. Biometric systems failed causing 4-hour delays. Early unofficial results showed Museveni 61.7% from government tallying centers.

Ethiopian authorities seized 56,000 ammunition rounds allegedly smuggled from Eritrea to arm Fano militia in Amhara region. Eritrea denied involvement. Tensions elevated between former allies. US Africa Command disclosed January 14 airstrike against al-Shabaab in Somalia. Approximately 2,000 remained displaced in Zémio, CAR following recent clashes.

ASIA-PACIFIC

Myanmar resistance forces captured pro-junta militia leader Sein Lwin in operations near Mandalay, marking significant blow to military auxiliary forces. Bangladeshi security forces detained 53 ARSA members in refugee camp operations. Border with Myanmar placed on high alert. China deployed 3 Shuiqiao-class landing barges capable of transporting heavy equipment to South China Sea.

Japan and Philippines signed Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement enabling tax-free provision of ammunition, fuel, supplies for joint training, plus $6 million aid package. Japan announced coastal radar systems arrived in Philippines under Official Security Assistance. China launched Algeria's AlSat-3A satellite at 12:01 PM Beijing time from Jiuquan using Long March 2C rocket—626th Long March series launch.

SOUTH & CENTRAL ASIA

Pakistani security forces killed 13 Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan militants in coordinated operations across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on January 15. In Bannu district, 8 militants killed in intelligence-based operation. In Kurram district, 5 militants killed in separate engagement. Operations followed recent TTP attacks on security forces in northwestern border regions.

Indian authorities reported sabotage of Indo-Myanmar border fence at Border Pillar 67 in Manipur for second time in recent weeks. Security forces discovered damage during routine patrols. No suspects apprehended. Border security remains on heightened alert.

CYBER & SPACE

Iranian authorities deployed military-grade GPS jamming equipment targeting Starlink terminals used by protesters and activists. Users reported 30-80% packet loss rates severely degrading connectivity. Jamming campaign represents Iran's attempt to block international communications as protests continue. Polish authorities disclosed foiled Russian cyberattack on national power grid in December 2025 that could have caused widespread blackouts.

Threat intelligence recorded 14 ransomware victims on leak sites: Qilin 4, Akira 3, IncRansom 2, DragonForce/Tengu/Sinobi 1-2 each. Security researchers mapped ~18,000 Chinese state-sponsored C2 servers across 48 hosting providers globally. NASA conducted first-ever space medical evacuation from ISS. Crew-11 undocked January 14 evening, splashed down 12:45 AM PST January 15 off California. Astronaut stabilized and transported to NASA facility.