ZeroFox Physical Security Intelligence Daily Brief - January 22, 2025

ZeroFox Physical Security Intelligence Daily Brief - January 22, 2025

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

• Turkey Ski Resort Blaze Claims 76 Lives, Guests Jump from Windows in Panic
• State of Unrest Declared in Catatumbo, Colombia After Dozens Killed in Inter-Guerrilla
• Anti-Semitic Attacks Continue in Australia

Turkey Ski Resort Blaze Claims 76 Lives, Guests Jump from Windows in Panic

A fire at a ski resort hotel in Turkey's Bolu mountains on Tuesday, January 21, claimed 76 lives and left many injured. Several panicked guests jumped from windows, while many used bed sheets to create makeshift ropes in an attempt to escape. Emergency responders arrived as the building continued to smolder into the afternoon (local time). Guests reported fleeing through smoke-filled hallways and noted that no alarms were heard. Authorities confirmed 238 people were staying at the hotel at the time. DNA tests are being conducted to identify the victims, and nine people have been detained as part of an ongoing investigation into the cause of the fire. President Tayyip Erdogan has declared Wednesday, January 22, a national day of mourning.

State of Unrest Declared in Catatumbo, Colombia After Dozens Killed in Inter-Guerrilla

President Gustavo Petro declared a state of internal unrest after at least 80 people were killed in clashes between rebels from the National Liberation Army (ELN) and former members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) in the northeastern region of Catatumbo. Following the high-profile clashes, President Petro ended peace talks with the ELN. FARC and ELN are traditional allies, but since FARC disbanded in 2016 following successful peace talks, former FARC members and ELN have increasingly moved into drug trafficking. Petro has unsuccessfully tried to replicate the 2016 peace talks with Colombia's myriad other rebel groups. With violence continuing, a larger military crackdown against the groups, which range across the political spectrum, is likely.

Anti-Semitic Attacks Continue in Australia

A Jewish childcare center was set on fire and spray painted with anti-semitic messages on January 21, 2025—the latest in a series of attacks on the Jewish community in Sydney. This is the eighth such incident in Sydney, with other high-profile incidents having occurred in Melbourne and Canberra in recent months. Australia has set up a task force to combat anti-semitism, which has surged since the beginning of the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.