ZeroFox Physical Security Intelligence Daily Brief - June 13, 2024

ZeroFox Physical Security Intelligence Daily Brief - June 13, 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

• String of Terror Attacks in Jammu and Kashmir, India
• U.S. Broadens Russia Sanctions Targeting Semiconductors Sent via China
• North Korean Soldiers Violated the Military Demarcation Line

String of Terror Attacks in Jammu and Kashmir, India

From June 8 to 11, 2024, at least 12 people were killed and dozens injured in a string of terror attacks in India’s Jammu and Kashmir territory. On June 8, a bus carrying Hindu pilgrims crashed into a ravine after coming under attack from militants, killing at least nine people and injuring 41. On June 11, dual attacks on military checkpoints in the Doda and Kathua districts resulted in the deaths of one Indian soldier and two militants while injuring a civilian and six security personnel. Indian authorities blamed neighboring Pakistan for the attacks. The uptick comes after India’s six-week-long parliamentary election concluded on June 1, and after Jammu and Kashmir’s director general of police claimed militant groups in the territory were weakening. Prime Minister Narendra Modi placed Jammu and Kashmir under federal control in 2019 for the purpose of rooting out insurgents and has since claimed to have restored peace to the restive territory. Some local sources refute this, saying militants have been driven underground by stepped-up military activity but remain active. Attacks may continue in the coming days, with possible targets including military or police posts, Hindu gatherings, or government facilities. At least one Hindu group, Bajrang Dal, has called for nationwide protests against the bus ambush on June 12. Additional attacks on Hindu targets could spur new demonstrations.

U.S. Broadens Russia Sanctions Targeting Semiconductors Sent via China

On June 12, the US widened sanctions on Russia by targeting China-based companies selling semiconductors to Moscow to undercut their supply chains for materials and equipment that support its invasion of Ukraine. The sanctions target more than 300 individuals and entities in Russia and beyond including Asia, Europe and Africa, with a focus on shell companies in Hong Kong for diverting semiconductors to Russia. The move will increase the risk for financial institutions dealing with Russia’s war economy and further eliminate paths for evasion, diminishing Russia’s ability to benefit from access to foreign technology, equipment, software and IT services.

North Korean Soldiers Violated the Military Demarcation Line

On June 11, South Korea's military said its troops fired warning shots when North Korean soldiers briefly crossed the military demarcation line between the two countries on Sunday. More than 10 North Korean soldiers apparently violated the land border by mistake. The Joint Chiefs of Staff said on Tuesday that the incident occurred shortly past noon on Sunday. It added that the North Korean soldiers immediately returned to their territory, after the South Korean military issued warning broadcasts and fired warning shots. Sources close to the South Korean military said the North Korean soldiers were carrying pickaxes or other tools. The sources noted that they appeared to have been engaged in some kind of activity in the Demilitarized Zone. Additionally, South Korea responded by continuing anti-North Korea propaganda through loudspeakers, and engaging in balloon warfare, in which South Korea is focusing to revolutionize technologies that will disperse leaflets and electronic speakers hundreds of kilometers across the border. Tensions continue between North and South Korea as both countries are responding to each other's "provocations."