TheList 5309

The List 5309 TGB




Good Tuesday Morning May 5.



Regards,

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This day in Naval History May 5



1944 The hospital ship, USS Comfort (AH-6), is commissioned at San Pedro, Calif., and is the first ship to be manned jointly by U.S. Army and U.S. Navy personnel.

1948 Fighter Squadron Seventeen A (VF-17A), with 16 FH-1 Phantoms, becomes the first carrier-qualified jet squadron in the U.S. Navy.

1961 Cmdr. Alan Shepard Jr. makes the first U.S. manned space flight. USS Lake Champlain (CVS-39) recovers the capsule after the 15 minute flight.

1979 USS Robert E. Peary (FF 1073) rescues 440 Vietnamese refugees from their disabled craft 400 miles south of Thailand.

2007 USS Hawaii (SSN 776) is commissioned at Groton, Conn. The Virginia-class submarine, the first to be named after the Aloha State, arrives at its homeport of Pearl Harbor July 23, 2009 following her maiden underway period.

2012 USNS Cesar Chavez (T-AKE 14) is launched at the National Steel and Shipbuilding Company in San Diego, Calif. The Military Sea Lift Commands dry cargo ammunition ship honors the prominent civil rights activist Cesar Chavez, who served in the Navy during World War II and later founded the National Farm Works Association, which becomes the United Farm Workers union.

2017

Senior Chief Special Warfare Operator Kyle Milliken, 38, of Falmouth, Maine, is killed during a Somali National Army-led operation with U.S. Africa Command against al-Shabaab May 5 in a remote area approximately 40 miles west of Mogadishu.





Thanks to CHINFO



Executive Summary:

• CBS News and AP report that USS Theodore Roosevelt Sailors are moving aboard in preparation to resume deployment.

• Multiple outlets report that U.S. Navy and Royal Navy warships are patrolling the Barents Sea for the first time since the Cold War.

• Breaking Defense reports that the Navy will resume posting flag officer nominations and assignments.





Today in History: May 5

1494 Christopher Columbus lands on the island of Jamaica, which he names Santa Gloria.



1814 British attack the American forces at Ft. Ontario, Oswego, New York.



1821 Napoleon Bonaparte dies in exile on the island of St. Helena.



1834 The first mainland railway line opens in Belgium.



1862 Union and Confederate forces clash at the Battle of Williamsburg, part of the Peninsular Campaign.



1862 Mexican forces loyal to Benito Juarez defeat troops sent by Napoleon III in the Battle of Puebla.



1886 A bomb explodes on the fourth day of a workers' strike in Chicago.



1912 Soviet Communist Party newspaper Pravda begins publishing.



1916 U.S. Marines invade the Dominican Republic.



1917 Eugene Jacques Bullard becomes the first African-American aviator when he earns a flying certificate with the French Air Service.



1920 Anarchists Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti are arrested for murder.



1935 American Jesse Owens sets the long jump record.



1942 General Joseph Stilwell learns that the Japanese have cut his railway out of China and is forced to lead his troops into India.



1945 Holland and Denmark are liberated from Nazi control.



1961 Alan Shepard becomes the first American in space.



1965 173rd Airborne Brigade arrives in Bien Hoa-Vung, Vietnam, the first regular U.S. Army unit deployed to that country.



1968 U.S. Air Force planes hit Nhi Ha, South Vietnam in support of attacking infantrymen.



1969 Pulitzer Prize awarded to Norman Mailer for his 'nonfiction novel' Armies of the Night, an account of the 1967 anti-Vietnam War march on the Pentagon.



1987 Congress opens Iran-Contra hearings.



2000 The Sun, Earth, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn align - Earth's moon is also almost in this alignment - leading to Doomsday predictions of massive natural disasters, although such a 'grand confluence' occurs about once in every century.



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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS

FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR MAY 5

THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY







1910: At Mount Weather Observatory in Virginia, a kite flew to a 23,800-foot world altitude record.

(24)



1927: The Patent Office issued a patent on hinged inset trailing edge ailerons, an invention that later

became a standard feature on aircraft. (20)



1947: McDonnell's H-20 Flying Bike, the world's first ramjet helicopter, completed its first flight. (3)



1948: Fighter Squadron VF-17A, equipped with 16 FH-1 Phantoms, became the first carrier-qualified

jet squadron in the US Navy. (16) (24)

BOEING FLIGHT-TESTED B-29S MODIFIED FOR AERIAL REFUELING. To install the

basic British hose system on the B-29s, Boeing removed all armaments and most armor to install a

hose reel, hauling line, more fuel lines, and nylon-lined aluminum fuel tanks in the forward and aft

bomb bays. Receiver aircraft had some oxygen equipment removed and fueling lines added. The

success of the tests ultimately led the USAF to convert 92 B-29s into KB-29M hose-method tankers.

Seventy-four B-29s were equipped to receive aerial refuelings by hose. (18)



1951: KOREAN WAR. A 3 ARS H-5 helicopter rescued a downed F-51 pilot north of Seoul. It encountered

small arms fire in the area. (28)



1952: The Grumman XF10F-1 Jaguar first flew. It had a swept-wing variable geometry wing.



1954: The USAF issued a requirement for a turbo-jet tanker to support the refueling needs of jet aircraft.

(18)



1956: Operation REDWING. Press reports said the first shot in a test series on Eniwetok Atoll had

been of a "pocket-size" H-bomb small enough for delivery by a small aircraft or missile. (16)



1961: Navy Lt Cmdr Alan B. Shepard, Jr., became the first astronaut to cross the space frontier in a

Mercury-Redstone 3 capsule, Freedom 7. During a 14-minute, 22-second suborbital flight, he

reached 116 miles in altitude and 5,100 MPH. After lifting off from Cape Canaveral, Freedom

7 carrried him 302 miles to a landing zone in the Atlantic. He set a FAI altitude record without

leaving the Earth's orbit. Cameramen and equipment from Air Photographic and Charting Service's

1365th Photographic Squadron provided photographic coverage. (7) (9) (18)



1966: USAF A-1E Skyraider pilots flew their first strikes against targets in North Vietnam. (16) (26)



1969: The Smithsonian Institute received X-15 No.1 for display with other aircraft firsts. (3)



1971: The USAF's sea-launched ballistic missile detection and warning system, called the Pave

Phased Array Warning Sytem (PAWS), achieved its initial operating capability. (21)



1981: A B-52H from the 410 BMW at K.I. Sawyer AFB landed at Royal Australian Air Force Base

Darwin for two days of public display. This event came after years of negotiating an agreement,

signed in March 1981, to let B-52s land in Australia. On 22 June, the bomber flew an operational

sortie from Darwin on a sea-search mission. (1)



1987: The last Titan II missile came off alert at Little Rock AFB, marking "the close of a quarter century

of uninterrupted service as the vanguard of America's deterrent force." (16) (26)



1996: Colonel Betty L. Mullis became the first woman to command a flying wing when she assumed

command of the 940 AREFW (AFRES) at McClellan AFB. (21)



1999: Operation PROVIDE REFUGE. A DoD-chartered Tower Air Boeing 747 landed at McGuire

AFB with the first group of refugees from Kosovar, Serbia's southern province in the Federal

Republic of Yugoslavia. In this operation, up to 3,000 Kosovar Albanians were flown to Mc-

Guire and temporary quarters at neighboring Fort Dix until arrangements could be made for

permanent resettlement with relatives or sponsors in the US. (22)



2001: The Boeing X-32B flew from Edwards AFB to NAS Patuxent River, Md., to validate the suitability

of its direct-lift capability to Navy requirements. (3)



2003: Operation IRAQI FREEDOM. Global Hawk (AV-3) landed at Edwards AFB after flying 19

sorties in 446.6 hours over Iraq to collect some 3,700 surveillance images. While only flying 5

percent of the surveillance sorties in the theater, the Global Hawk gathered more than 55 percent

of the data on time-sensitive targets. Subsequently, the Air Staff credited the Global Hawk with

destroying scores of Iraqi tanks and advancing the defeat of the Republican Guard by several

days. (3)



2004: Two C-130s from the 146 AW(California ANG), equipped with the Modular Airborne Firefighting

System, dropped 21,600 gallons of fire-retardant on Santa Barbara County's Cachuma fire. (32)



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Thanks to Mike



Fast Food Chain Growth 1971 - 2019



Check out who is at the bottom in 1971 vs their position in 2019.



https://public.flourish.studio/visualisation/1160235/





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"This Day in Aviation History" brought to you by the Daedalians Airpower Blog Update. To subscribe to this weekly email, go to https://daedalians.org/airpower-blog/.



This Week in Aviation Heritage



May 5, 1917

Secretary of War Newton D. Baker agreed to a proposal from the Secretary of the Navy concerning the establishment of a joint board for the purpose of standardizing the design and specifications of aircraft. The board subsequently established was initially called the "Joint Technical Board on Aircraft, Except Zeppelins."



May 6, 1914

A Curtiss AH–3 hydroairplane, flown by Lt. P. N. L. Bellinger and Lt. R. C. Saufley of the Navy in a reconnaissance mission over Mexican positions near Vera Cruz, became the first U.S. airplane hit by hostile ground fire. Bellinger was Daedalian Founder Member #2101. Saufley was #13307.



May 7, 1958

Maj. Major Howard C. Johnson, the operations officer of the 83rd Fighter Interceptor Squadron based at Hamilton AFB, California, zoom-climbed a Lockheed F-104A Starfighter, serial number 55-2957, to an altitude of 91,243 feet over Edwards AFB, establishing a new Fédération Aéronautique Internationale altitude record. Major Johnson was part of a group of engineers and pilots awarded the Robert J. Collier Trophy by the National Aeronautic Association in 1958 for "the greatest achievement in aeronautics" because of their involvement in the Lockheed F-104 program.



May 8, 1911

The Navy ordered its first airplane, an A–1 amphibian, from Glenn Curtiss. By July the service was flying this aircraft at Hammondsport, New York.



May 9, 1932

Capt. Albert Francis Hegenberger, Air Corps, United States Army, flew the first solo instrument approach and landing, using a system which he had developed, at McCook Field, Ohio. The Hegenberger system, which was adopted by both civil and military aviation authorities, used a series of non-directional radio beacons and marker beacons on the ground, along with a radio-compass and other gyroscopic instruments and radio receivers aboard the aircraft, a Consolidated NY-2 biplane. This flight was the first solo blind instrument flight, approach and landing. (Lt. James H. Doolittle had made a blind instrument flight in 1929, but he carried a safety pilot aboard.) For his accomplishment, Captain Hegenberger was awarded an oak leaf cluster (a second award) for his Distinguished Flying Cross, and received the Collier Trophy, an annual award for the greatest achievement in aeronautics in America. He was Daedalian Founder Member #3827.



May 10, 1911

Lt. George Kelly becomes the first Army pilot to die in an airplane. He crashed to avoid striking encamped soldiers. While Lt. Thomas Selfridge died earlier (Sept. 17, 1908), he was flying as an observer, not as a pilot. Selfridge was the first person, and the first active duty person, to die in an aircraft crash. Kelly was Daedalian Founder Member #575, and Selfridge was #544.



May 11, 1964

The first prototype North American Aviation XB-70A-1-NA Valkyrie, 62-0001, was rolled out at Air Force Plant 42 near Palmdale, California. More than 5,000 people were there to watch. In August 1960, the U.S. Air Force had contracted for one XB-70 prototype and 11 pre-production YB-70 development aircraft. By 1964, however, the program had been scaled back to two XB-70As and one XB-70B. Only two were actually completed.



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Thanks to Al from the archives



Monday Morning Humor--Cinco de Mayo



On May 5th, 1862 in Puebla, Mexico, 4,000 Mexican soldiers triumphed over twice as many French fighters. Mexicans celebrate that victorious battle as Cinco de Mayo.

Today, Cinco de Mayo is a joyous holiday celebrated with food, fun, parades, and plenty of cerveza or tequila. Held during the first week of May; Cinco de Mayo springtime events include carnivals, street fairs, and multi-day festivals across the USA.

In Mexico, the children play games on Cinco de Mayo as part of the fiesta to celebrate. One game involved the filling of a piñata or hanging paper bag full of "goodies". Children were allowed into a circle of their friends and had a small stick to wave around in an attempt to puncture the bag and gain the reward of the "goodies".

The best and most authentic Cinco de Mayo celebrations occur in locations with the highest concentration of Mexican people. Similar to St. Patrick's Day for the Irish and Columbus Day in New York state, Cinco de Mayo is one of those special times when everyone feels a little bit Mexican in their soul.





Cinco de Mayo Trivia and Interesting Facts about Mexico

· The Mexican community celebrates more than 365 festivals each year. Cinco de Mayo is just one of them.

· Although Cinco de Mayo is a big celebration in Puebla, where the battle was fought, Cinco de Mayo is much more popular in America.

· The festival was 'invented' in America by a group of students back in 1967. Each year since then Cinco de Mayo gets bigger thanks to people of Mexican descent - and those who just like a good margarita!

· Did you know Mexico is the largest Spanish-speaking country in the world.

· Around 28.3 million of USA residents were of Mexican origin in 2006. These residents constituted 9% of the nation's total population, and 64% of the Hispanic population.

· Approximately 630,000 of Mexican-Americans are USA military veterans.

· The Maya in Central Mexico were the first people known to harvest and use the peanut.

· Pineapple and papayas grew wild in Mexico, and were introduced to the rest of the world by Spanish explorers.

· Around the 1860s, three American travelers began exporting resin from the Zapote Blanco tree in Mexico after they noticed that it hardened when exposed to air. The men found a way to turn it into a waxy substance, added flavors and sweeteners, and sold it in small balls for a penny apiece, calling it Adam's Chewing Gum from New York. Today, Americans chew seven times more gum than the rest of the world.

· Guadalajara, Mexico's second largest city, is where the Mexican Hat Dance, sombreros and mariachi music are believed to have originated.

· The vanilla bean comes from an orchid plant discovered by Mexican Indians who used it to add flavor to their cocoa and corn drinks. The world's largest crop of vanilla beans still comes from Mexico.





Stupid Cinco de Mayo sayings:

· Remember, Cinco de Mayo isn't just about drinking margaritas. It's also about tacos, burritos, and quesadillas.

· It's funny how Cinco de Mayo always seems to fall on May 5.

· As you all know, May 5 is the traditional Mexican holiday celebrated by filling up your sink with mayonnaise.

· Cinco de Mayo: The greatest Mexican holiday that few Mexicans even know about.

· Cinco de Mayo: As if I needed an excuse to get wasted on tequila.

· Cinco de Mayo: The only holiday where we celebrate binge drinking and cultural stereotypes…er, besides Saint Patrick's Day.

· "Contrary to popular belief, Cinco de Mayo is Spanish for 'the fifth of May' and not 'chug, chug, chug.' Anyway, salud!"

· "I'm not above using obscure Mexican battles to justify my drinking."

· "Is it really necessary to adopt another country's holiday just to have an excuse to drink tequila? You don't need one the other 364 days of the year."

· "Cinco de Mayo makes me long for a world in which all holidays are conveniently named after the dates on which they fall."





Groaners:

What do you call a group of skunks drinking tequila?

Stinko de Mayo!



How many Mexicans does it take to celebrate Cinco de Mayo?

Just Juan!



How do they serve beer on Cinco de Mayo?

In Mexi-cans!



Which Disney princess only comes out on Cinco de Mayo?

Taco Belle!



What do you call a cargo ship full of mayonnaise that goes down in the ocean?

Sinko de Mayo!



Knock knock.

Who's there?

Juan.

Juan who?

Juan to go out for margaritas on Cinco de Mayo?





And finally, this standard…



Most people don't know that back in 1912, Hellmann's mayonnaise was manufactured in England. In fact, the Titanic was carrying 12,000 jars of the condiment scheduled for delivery in Vera Cruz, Mexico, which was to be the next port of call for the great ship after its stop in New York.

This would have been the largest single shipment of mayonnaise ever delivered to Mexico.... But as we know....the great ship did not make it to New York....The ship hit an iceberg and sank .... and the cargo was forever lost....

The people of Mexico, who were crazy about mayonnaise, and were eagerly awaiting its delivery .... were disconsolate at the loss....

Their anguish was so great, that they declared a National Day of Mourning which they still observe to this day.... The National Day of Mourning occurs each year on May 5th.... and is known....of course....as Sinko de Mayo....





Have a great week and go easy on Cinco de Mayo,

Al

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Thanks to Glenn



came across this today....Thud Pilots



F-105 documentary with pilots, ground crew and helo rescue pilots commentary.

on Amazon Prime. not sure where else?


Glenn

Thud Pilots

(185)IMDb7.790 min201818+Subtitles and Closed CaptionsX-Ray

This edge-of-your-seat documentary exposes the air war over North Vietnam where an elite band of brothers known as Thud Pilots fought and died receiving neither the country's support nor glory. Thud Pilots tells the untold story of the men who flew the F-105 THUD over the deadliest skies in the history of air warfare.





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Thanks to Mike…See the attachment



1956 RB-47 Mission to Russia



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Thanks to the early Bird



1. 29 Purple Hearts approved for injuries sustained in Iran ballistic missile attack
(Military Times) U.S. Central Command said 29 Purple Hearts have been approved for soldiers injured in the Jan. 8 Iran ballistic missile attack that struck two Iraqi bases housing coalition troops.





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Daily News from Military Periscope for 5 May



USA—Warships Drill In Barents Sea For 1st Time Since Cold War U.S. Naval Forces Europe/Africa | 05/05/2020 U.S. Navy ships have been training in the Barents Sea for the first time since the 1980s, reports U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa. On May 4, the Arleigh Burke-class destroyers Donald Cook, Porter and Roosevelt supported by the supply ship USNS Supply began operating in the Barents Sea with the Royal Navy frigate HMS Kent. The operation enables the services to maintain proficiency in operations north of the Arctic circle, the Navy said. The Russian Ministry of Defense was notified of the planned operation on May 1 to prevent any misunderstandings. The operation comes days after the ships involved took part in an anti-submarine warfare exercise in the Norwegian Sea above the Arctic Circle. On May 1, the task force as well as an unnamed U.S. Navy submarine and a P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft drilled in the Norwegian Sea, reported the Royal Navy.



USA—SEAKR Engineering To Provide Mission Management System For DARPA Satellite Program C4ISRNet | 05/05/2020 The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has chosen SEAKR Engineering, Centennial, Colo., as the prime contractor to develop an autonomous mission management system for its Project Blackjack satellite program, reports C4ISRNet. SEAKR Engineering will supply its Pit Boss mission management system for DARPA's program to integrate commercial satellite technologies into a constellation of inexpensive, small and secure satellites in low Earth orbit, the company said on April 28. SEAKR's Pit Boss system features next-generation onboard processing employing off-the-shelf electronics adapted to operate reliably in space, the release said. The on-orbit system is intended to process satellite data and then provide it to users on the ground without requiring any human intervention. DARPA awarded the firm a Phase I Option II contract to continue work on Pit Boss. The value of the deal was not disclosed. SEAKR is teamed with Microsoft, Applied Technology Associates, Advanced Solutions, Kythera Space Solutions and NkryptPhase for the project. Last year, SEAKR was chosen along with BAE Systems and Scientific Systems for the first phase of the Pit Boss program.



USA—Northrop Grumman Teams With Raytheon For Next-Generation Missile Defense Interceptor Northrop Grumman | 05/05/2020 Northrop Grumman has announced a partnership with Raytheon Technologies to bid on the Next-Generation Interceptor (NGI) program for the U.S. Missile Defense Agency. The two companies already produce the interceptor booster, kill vehicle, ground systems, fire control and engagement coordination for the Ground-Based Midcourse Defense system, Northrop Grumman said in a Monday release. The Dept. of Defense released a request for proposals for the NGI program on April 24. The NGI project seeks to develop a replacement for the troubled Redesigned Kill Vehicle program that was canceled in August 2019. The Missile Defense Agency is expected to choose two teams for the NGI program later this year.



Estonia—Modified Spring Storm Exercise Begins In Estonia Nato Press Release | 05/05/2020 NATO troops have started the live-fire phase of the Spring Storm exercise in Estonia, reports the alliance. The Spring Storm drill consists of two phases: a field exercise from April 25 to April 30 and a live-fire exercise from May 1 to May 8. The annual exercise tests integration between the Estonian Defense Forces and NATO troops. Due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, this year's exercise was scaled down. Approximately, 3,2000 Estonian and NATO troops have been taking part, down from 9,000 last year. No Estonian reservists or foreign troops other than those assigned to the NATO battlegroup in Estonia are taking part. About 1,000 personnel from the U.K.-led battlegroup based in Tapa in northern Estonia are participating with Estonian troops making up the remainder. Danish troops are also assigned to the NATO force. The Estonian 1st Brigade, including the Scouts Battalion, and the allied troops have been training conscripts from the Kuperjanov Battalion and Viru Battalion during the drills, reported Estonian Public Broadcasting.



China—Beijing Successfully Launches Crewed Spacecraft Prototype South China Morning Post | 05/05/2020 China has successfully launched a prototype of its newest crewed spacecraft, reports the South China Morning Post. On Tuesday, the Long March 5 rocket took off from Hainan Island. The prototype capsule successfully detached from the rocket after eight minutes and entered its designated orbit, Manned Space Engineering Office officials told state broadcaster CCTV. This was an uncrewed test of the capsule, which is expected to replace the current Shenzhou craft. The new capsule is intended to carry up to six astronauts as far as the moon, officials said. It will also support China's new space station, which Beijing aims to start putting into orbit in 2021. The system is designed to be able to launch and land with three astronauts onboard along with up to 1,100 pounds (500 kg) of cargo, reported Xinhua, China's state news agency.



South Korea—Research Institute Proposes Free Trade Agreement With North Yonhap | 05/05/2020 A state-run think tank in South Korea has recommended signing a free trade deal with Pyongyang as part of efforts to accelerate reform in North Korea, reports the Yonhap news agency (Seoul). On Monday, the Korea Institute for International Economic Policy published a report calling for bolstering trade with the North. A free trade agreement could accelerate reform in North Korea; help integrate the reclusive country into the international market; and enhance bilateral cooperation, says the report. North Korea would first need to normalize its foreign relations and join the international community, enabling it to access foreign capital. International sanctions would also need to be lifted for the North Korean economic reform efforts to be successful. Pyongyang has faced increased sanctions since 2016 due to its nuclear and missile development programs.



Philippines—2 Soldiers Killed In Attack By ISIS Affiliate Philippine News Agency | 05/05/2020 Two Philippine soldiers have been killed and one injured in a militant attack in the southern Maguindanao province, reports the Philippine News Agency. On Monday, gunmen opened fire on a quarantine checkpoint in the isolated village of Datu Hoffer. Two soldiers from the 57th Infantry Battalion were killed and another wounded in the fighting with Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) militants. The rebels suffered an undetermined number of casualties in the 45-minute firefight that ensued. The bodies were removed by fleeing fighters, said the military. The ISIS-affiliated group has resorted to hit-and-run tactics due to growing pressure in central Mindanao, said the military. Reinforcements were sent to the region to pursue the militants, reported CNN Philippines.



Afghanistan—Red Unit Commander Among 16 Taliban Killed In Balkh Airstrike Khaama Press | 05/05/2020 At least 16 militants have been killed in an Afghan air force attack in Afghanistan's northern Balkh province, reports the Khaama Press (Kabul). Early Tuesday, Afghan aircraft struck a militant gathering in the Koshinda district, said the 209th Shaheen Corps, the military command for the region. The attack was made based on an intelligence tip, officials said. Among those present at the meeting was Mullah Yaqoob, also known as Mansoor, a commander of the Taliban's elite Red Units. The Taliban did not immediately comment on the incident.



Yemen—Government Reaches Accord With U.A.E.-Backed Separatists Al Jazeera | 05/05/2020 The internationally recognized Yemeni government and Southern Transition Council (STC) separatists have agreed to a truce to halt fighting on the island province of Socotra, reports Al Jazeera (Qatar). The cease-fire between the Saudi-backed government and United Arab Emirates-supported STC was reached late on May 1. Fighting had broken out on the island after an STC unit attempted to seize the provincial capital of Hadibo. The clashes came after the STC declared independence and a state of emergency in parts of southern Yemen under its control. Under the truce, coalition and government forces will secure the capital, while both sides will remove checkpoints and military vehicles. Military vehicles and heavy weaponry will not be allowed off the island without a permit issued by the governor and coalition leadership. The STC previously was allied with the Yemeni government to fight the Houthi rebels supported by Iran. The separatists have since taken a more independent tack, seizing control of Aden, the temporary capital, in August 2019. The sides eventually reached an agreement to form a unity government, but subsequent talks broke down.



Syria—9 Police Officers Killed In Brazen Assault Syrian Observatory for Human Rights | 05/05/2020 Nine Syrian police officers have been abducted and killed in Syria's southwestern Daraa province, reports the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (U.K.). On Monday, unknown assailants kidnapped the officers from a municipal building in Muzayrib, reported Agence France-Presse. Their bodies were later found in a traffic circle in the town. Separately, two members of the Syrian air force intelligence service were killed and one wounded when gunmen opened fire with automatic weapons on the road between the towns of Al Malaiha, Al Sharqiya and Nahteh in Daraa. The air force intelligence service is considered one of Syria's most powerful intelligence bodies. There were no immediate claims of responsibility for either attack. Daraa was home to some of the first protests against the regime in 2011. Government control returned in 2018 but since June 2019 there have been 435 attacks that have killed 152 soldiers, 23 allied fighters, 45 former rebels who joined the regime security services and 61 civilians.



Syria—Suspected Israeli Strikes Target Research Center In Aleppo Syrian Arab News Agency | 05/05/2020 Suspected Israeli jets aircraft have attacked sites where Iranian militias are based in Syria's northwestern Aleppo province, reports the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA). Late Monday, jets struck military ammunition warehouses in Al Safirah, located in the countryside southeast of Aleppo city, said the Syrian military. Air defenses engaged the threats during the strike and a damage assessment was being carried out, the military said. Around 12 missiles were fired at the Syrian Scientific Studies and Research Center, which is believed to be working with Iran on missile technologies, reported Al Arabiya. Five missiles hit the center, completely destroying it, said unnamed sources. The center is a location that Western intelligence and Syrian opposition sources have indicated that Syria is working on chemical weapons with Iranian assistance, reported the Jerusalem Post. Separately, suspected Israeli jets struck sites used by Iran-backed militias in the Syrian town of Al Bukamal along the Iraqi border. Fourteen Iranians and Iran-backed militants were killed, with that figure expected to rise, reported the U.K.-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Israel has increased its operations against in Iranian targets in Syria over the last few weeks, as the world has focused its attention on the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, said a regional security source.



Egypt—18 Militants Killed In Raid On N. Sinai Safe House Middle East Eye | 05/05/2020 Egyptian security forces say they have killed 18 suspected militants in a raid on a home in North Sinai, reports the Middle East Eye. On Saturday, security forces raided a home in Bir al-Abd where suspected terrorists had holed up, sparking an hour-long firefight, said the Egyptian Interior Ministry. The militants had been hiding in the home and planning to launch attacks from the location, reported Agence-France Presse. Two explosive belts, three explosive devices and 13 automatic weapons were recovered, the ministry said. The raid came two days after 10 Egyptian soldiers were killed or wounded when their armored vehicle hit an explosive device near Bir al-Abd. That attack was claimed by the Islamic State. The affiliation of the militants killed in the raid on Sunday was not revealed. Meanwhile, the Egyptian military said that 126 suspected militants had been killed in recent operations in Sinai, reported Reuters. Fifteen security personnel were killed in those operations, the military said.





Kenya—Security Forces Disrupt Al-Shabaab Attacks, Says Government Daily Nation | 05/05/2020 Kenyan security forces have disrupted several Al-Shabaab attacks planned during the Muslim Ramadan holy month, reports the Daily Nation (Nairobi), citing government documents. The attacks would have included abductions and hijackings of government vehicles, according to a classified security brief seen by the newspaper. The Kenya Defense Forces and National Intelligence Service worked together to thwart the plans. Roadblocks set up to prevent movement and halt the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) have also proven successful at hindering the movement of Al-Shabaab fighters, the document says. The report also noted that Al-Shabaab maintains parallel operational administrative structures in five of Somalia's seven federal states. The group has also reportedly infiltrated key positions in the Somali government.



Cameroon—22 Anglophone Rebels Die In Army Offensive Voice Of America News | 05/05/2020 The Cameroonian military says it has killed 22 Anglophone rebels in a week-long operation in its western English-speaking regions, reports the Voice of America News. On Monday, Gen. Valere Nka, the commander in the Northwest region, said that more than 300 troops were involved in the operation, which killed 22 militants and recovered at least 50 weapons and several vehicles. On April 30 and May 1, Cameroonian troops killed 15 fighters in Bafut, among them a militant calling himself "General Aladji," who masterminded the 2018 kidnapping of dozens of schoolchildren in the region. Other rebels were killed in raids on Bamenda, the regional capital, and other areas. Residents of several villages said at least 13 civilians were killed during the raids. In statements on social media, the separatists blamed the military for the killings, acknowledging losses in its own ranks while claiming to have killed several soldiers. The military denied suffering any fatalities. Since 2017, separatist forces have been fighting to create a state for English-speaking Cameroonians in the Anglophone Northwest and Southwest regions called Ambazonia.



Democratic Republic of the Congo—12 Killed In Militia Attack On Army Base In Ituri Anadolu News Agency | 05/05/2020 At least 12 people have been killed in a militant attack on an army base in Ituri province in northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo, reports Turkey's Anadolu Agency. On Saturday, a group called Kyini ya kilima assaulted an army post near Marabho, 25 miles (40 km) south of Bunia, the provincial capital, the military reported on Monday. Four soldiers were killed and two wounded in the fighting, said an army spokesman. Eight militants were killed, six wounded and two captured, the spokesman said. Four AK-47s were recovered. The army spokesman said that the area remained under government control and indicated that the identities of the perpetrators were known. The military launched an operation against militias in the gold mining regions of Ituri in January.



Colombia—ELN Says Will Not Resume Offensive During COVID-19 Pandemic Colombia Reports | 05/05/2020 Top officials from the National Liberation Army (ELN) insurgent group in Colombia say it will hold off offensive operations due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, reports Colombia Reports. The group will adopt a defensive posture following the end of a month-long cease-fire on April 30, said the officials, who also called on the U.N. and Pope Francis to pressure the Colombian government to agree to a bilateral truce. The ELN wants a cease-fire that would last for the remainder of President Ivan Duque's term with the goal of holding peace talks with his successor in 2022. Duque's government indicated that it is not interested in a new truce and has instead pushed plans for guerillas to surrender and participate in a reintegration program. Last week, Bogota announced that 20 militants had surrendered and demobilized in the southwestern Cauca province