ZeroFox Physical Security Intelligence Daily Brief - April 4, 2024

ZeroFox Physical Security Intelligence Daily Brief - April 4, 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

• Zimbabwe Declares State of Disaster due to Drought
• Simultaneous Attacks in Iran Kills At Least Three Security Personnel
• Central Asian Financial Institutions Halt Russian Mir Card Payments

Zimbabwe Declares State of Disaster due to Drought

On April 3, Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa declared a state of disaster in response to a drought that has affected 80 percent of the country. President Mnangagwa called for international donors to provide approximately USD 2 billion in aid to curb widespread hunger. A majority of Zimbabweans live in rural areas and survive on subsistence farming. The drought has exacerbated food scarcity in Southern Africa and is likely to continue due to the El Nino weather pattern and global warming. International organizations, such as the United Nations, have launched food aid programs in Zimbabwe to prevent famine.

Simultaneous Attacks in Iran Kills At Least Three Security Personnel

At least three security personnel have been killed in attacks targeting military stations in the cities of Rask and Chabahar and claimed by the Jaish al-Adl group. The casualties include the deputy of a police station in Chabahar. The attacks came approximately 48 hours after Israeli warplanes struck the Iranian Embassy complex in Damascus, killing three senior commanders and four officers of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards. According to a statement from Iran's Deputy Interior Minister, the assailants were unsuccessful “in their goal of capturing the Guards headquarters in Chabahar and Rask and are under siege.”

Central Asian Financial Institutions Halt Russian Mir Card Payments

From April 5, Russian Mir banking cards will stop working in Kyrgyzstan. This comes after Kazakhstan's largest bank, Halyk Bank, stopped servicing Mir cards on February 28. These banks are likely halting Mir transaction services after the United States imposed sanctions on the Russian National Card Payment System - the operator of the Mir card payment system - on February 23.