ZeroFox Physical Security Intelligence Daily Brief - January 5, 2024

ZeroFox Physical Security Intelligence Daily Brief - January 5, 2024

ZeroFox physical security experts collect, curate, and analyze information derived from open and proprietary sources for comprehensive context of the circumstances surrounding global events. Here is today’s daily roundup of major developments.

Brief Highlights

• Taiwan Detects Chinese Balloons Ahead of Presidential Election
• Islamic State Claims Responsibility for Kerman Bombing
• US Airstrike Kills Militia Leader in Baghdad, Iraq

Taiwan Detects Chinese Balloons Ahead of Presidential Election

On January 3, the Taiwanese Defense Ministry detected four Chinese balloons moving across the line separating Taiwan from mainland China, with three flying directly above the island near an air base. This is not the first time supposed Chinese spy balloons have flown over Taiwan, which holds an election on January 13. Taiwan’s Defense Ministry reported several instances of Chinese balloons flying over the sensitive Taiwan Strait and then crossing airspace to the island’s north before vanishing in December 2023. Ahead of the elections, other Chinese military acts have escalated, including fighter jets and warships regularly operating in the strait.

Islamic State Claims Responsibility for Kerman Bombing

On January 4, the Islamic State group (IS) claimed responsibility for the January 3 bombing in Kerman, Iran, that killed at least 84 people and injured over 280. Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi blamed Israel and the United States for the explosions shortly after their occurrence, though other government officials refrained from naming specific actors. IS, a radical Sunni group, has previously conducted attacks within Shi’ite-majority Iran, though none have caused as many casualties. Some Iranian officials may continue blaming Israel and the United States for the attack, at least indirectly, both for propaganda purposes and because Iran’s leaders have accused the allies of funding anti-regime terrorist groups within Iran. IS remains greatly weakened compared to its 2014 peak but retains the ability to conduct isolated attacks.

US Airstrike Kills Militia Leader in Baghdad, Iraq

On January 4, an airstrike by a US drone killed a prominent Iraqi militia leader in Baghdad who is thought to have played a pivotal role in attacks on US forces since Israel’s incursion into Gaza. It is the most brazen retaliation yet in the escalating tit-for-tat between the United States and the coalition of Iraqi militias known as the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), a loose network of armed groups nominally belonging to the Iraqi armed forces but aligned with Iran. PMF militias and their counterparts in Syria have launched over 100 drone and missile attacks on US targets since mid-October, prompting US retaliation that has until recently targeted isolated missile launch sites.