ZeroFox Physical Security Intelligence Daily Brief - January 18, 2024

ZeroFox Physical Security Intelligence Daily Brief - January 18, 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

• Houthis Continue Red Sea Attacks After U.S. Designates Them as Global Terrorists
• Ecuadorian Prosecutor Investigating TV Station Attack Has Been Assassinated, Attorney General Says
• Security Boosted Ahead of Ayodhya Temple Consecration

Houthis Continue Red Sea Attacks After U.S. Designates Them as Global Terrorists

Yemen’s Houthis have targeted yet another U.S.-owned cargo ship with a kamikaze drone soon after the United States included the rebel group in its list of “specially designated global terrorists.” Even though the attack did not have any casualties, it might be seen as a retaliation against the Biden administration for its announcement regarding the Houthis’ designation. Washington officials have further stated that they would financially penalize Houthis to minimize harm to Yemen’s 32 million people.

Ecuadorian Prosecutor Investigating TV Station Attack Has Been Assassinated, Attorney General Says

Ecuadorian prosecutor Cesar Suarez, leading an investigation into an attack on a local TV network, was assassinated in Guayaquil. Cesar Suarez worked towards stopping organized crime and was a prosecutor for the Guayas province. The attack on the state-owned television network, stormed by armed men during a live broadcast on January 9, was under Suarez's investigation. His murder occurred in the northern part of the city.

Security Boosted Ahead of Ayodhya Temple Consecration

Authorities in the Indian city of Ayodhya, in Uttar Pradesh state, have stepped up security ahead of the planned consecration of a Hindu temple where a historic mosque once stood. The Ram Mandir temple, to be officially opened on January 22, 2024, is built on what is hypothesized to be the birthplace of the Hindu deity Rama. Over 10,000 police officers will deploy across the city ahead of the consecration and will be assisted by AI-driven surveillance technology. No confirmed security threats have been identified at this time. However, the consecration has attracted controversies including Hindu-Muslim religious tensions, allegations of fabricated archaeological findings justifying the new construction, and accusations that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party is politicizing the opening for its Hindu nationalist audience. The opening may attract protests in Ayodhya or elsewhere and more violent forms of unrest cannot be ruled out.