Kyrgyzstan has announced plans to replace all passports in the country with new biometric versions in 2021, a move that promises to improve regional security. Kyrgyzstan has faced problems with criminals counterfeiting its passports to travel within the Central Asian region and beyond. According to the Kyrgyz parliament, criminal groups in Russia have turned the sale of fake Kyrgyz passports into a profitable business. In addition to the standard photographs and owners’ names, biometric passports contain special microcircuits holding relevant identification data that includes fingerprints. The new biometric passports will contain 30 security features, making them more difficult to forge.…
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UNIPATH STAFF As the government of Uzbekistan adds manpower and equipment at border crossings and airports to improve regional security, it is also reaching agreements with neighboring Tajikistan and Kazakhstan to reduce tensions on their shared borders. Uzbekistan issued a decree in January 2021 that creates civilian border guard detachments to boost the strength of the country’s official border guard troops. The volunteer units will consist of Uzbek citizens ages 18 to 60 who serve on the border a maximum of 30 days a year conducting surveillance and patrols. Uzbekistan is also upgrading scanning equipment to smooth the passage of…
UNIPATH STAFF The United Arab Emirates (UAE) celebrated the 45th anniversary of merging its Air Force with Air Defense Forces with a ceremony in January 2021. Maj. Gen. Ibrahim Nasser Mohammed Al-Alawi, commander of the Air Force and Air Defense, praised the country’s leadership for its long-term commitment to improving air power in defense of the UAE’s interests. “The Air Force and Air Defense were able during the past years, given the planning that was developed on solid scientific foundations, to employ cutting edge technology in terms of equipment, weapons and training, modernizing the air force and rendering it…
UNIPATH STAFF In defiance of the international community, which has called upon warring parties to end the conflict in Yemen, the Iranian-backed Houthi militia launched attacks on Yemeni military installations in the Ma’rib and Al Jawf governorates in February 2021. Government forces repulsed Houthi units that temporarily occupied three Yemeni military installations and thwarted a Houthi infiltration attempt through Al Kadra village, east of Sirwah district, killing several militants and capturing eight. Three civilians were killed, and three others wounded by a ballistic missile fired by the Houthis in Ma’rib, the Yemeni Ministry of Defense said. The Saudi-led Coalition to…
UNIPATH STAFF During ongoing operations to eliminate Daesh remnants, Iraqi security forces seized weapons and explosives the terrorists intended to use on Iraqi citizens. Iraqi forces captured 75 anti-aircraft missiles in Al Anbar governorate that Daesh planned to convert to improvised explosive devices and vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices. The operation in early 2021 resulted in the arrest of a wanted terrorist nicknamed Abu Al-Yemaan, a member of what Daesh called its Raptors Division. In an earlier military action a month earlier, members of the Iraqi National Security Agency killed Daesh’s logistical officer in Diyala governorate. He had been resisting capture while wearing…
UNIPATH STAFF After focusing for years on training peacekeeping troops for overseas missions — including the Steppe Eagle exercise with the United States — Kazakhstan aims to increase participation in United Nations peacekeeping missions. In November 2020, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev instructed his Defense Ministry to prepare a “road map” in 2021 by which Kazakhstan can expand its role in multinational peacekeeping forces. President Tokayev’s decision comes as his troops have accumulated years of overseas experience. Since 2007, dozens of Kazakh military personnel have joined peacekeeping missions in Nepal, Côte d’Ivoire, Western Sahara and Lebanon. Most prominently, Kazakhstan has provided…
UNIPATH STAFF In a celebration attended by Commander of Royal Saudi Naval Forces Vice Adm. Fahad bin Abdullah Al-Ghofaily, His Majesty’s Ship Al-Dariyah was launched into the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Al-Dariyah is the second of five naval corvettes built by Spanish ship-maker Navantia as part of a Saudi naval upgrade called Project Sarawat. The ship is 99 meters long, displaces 2,470 tons and accommodates up to 111 Sailors. Al-Ghofaily noted that the Project Sarawat will raise the combat capabilities of the Royal Saudi Navy to enhance maritime security in the region. It will use the corvettes mainly for…
UNIPATH STAFF Broadening its deployments to include the Red and Mediterranean seas, the Pakistan Navy guided missile frigate PNS Zulfiquar called on the Jordanian Port of Aqaba in late 2020. The warship’s visit was meant to emphasize the Pakistan Navy’s contribution to regional peace and maritime security. It has been a steadfast participant in U.S.-led Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) based in Bahrain. Among the ship’s previous missions were counterpiracy operations near Somalia as part of Combined Task Force 151 and drug smuggling interdictions in the Gulf of Oman and Arabian Sea as part of Combined Task Force 150. The task…
UNIPATH STAFF As part of the continued cooperation between security forces and civil institutions in Jordan, the Public Security Directorate and the University of Jordan signed an agreement in January 2021 to protect the environment, sustain agriculture and support tourism. The signing ceremony was attended by Assistant Director of Public Security for Administration and Logistical Support Brig. Gen. Dr. Mutasim Abu Shatal, University of Jordan President Dr. Abdel-Karim Al-Qudah, Director of the Royal Department for Environmental Protection and Tourism Brig. Gen. Nahed Al-Muqaddah, many public security officers and the university staff and faculty. The Public Security Directorate seeks to expand…
UNIPATH STAFF The Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) has added 100 British-made armored cars to its defensive arsenal, equipment that will boost the capabilities of troops guarding the border with Syria. Called the Land Rover RWMIK, the armored cars host three-men crews and mount either a machine gun or grenade launcher. They provide maneuverability, firepower and a relatively low profile to support reconnaissance, convoy and fire support missions. LAF plans to use the cars to pursue terrorists, smugglers and other criminals that regularly attempt to cross the border. “It’s a great practical example of the friendship and collaboration between the armed…