Here is a look at the most significant, newsworthy events that occurred in December that you may have missed.

Right-Wing Extremist Shoots Kurdish Community Center

On 23 December, a lone gunman opened fire using his handgun at Kurdish civilians in the Ahmet Kaya Kurdish Cultural Centre in Paris, France. The gunman killed three civilians at the cultural centre and wounded a further three at a Kurdish-run hair salon across the road. He was later arrested by French police and an investigation was launched. Parisian residents of Kurdish descent subsequently took to the streets in protest to express anger over the events and over the fact that police already knew who the suspect was, as he had faced charges for attacking a migrant camp with a sword in 2021. The suspect was identified as William Malet and was reportedly moved to a psychiatric ward just a day after the attack.

HTS Steps up Military Campaign in Syria

Al-Qaeda affiliated Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), previously known as al-Nusra Front, stepped up attacks against government aligned forces in December, reportedly killing 45 Syrian Arab Army personnel and three Hezbollah affiliated persons, including one commander. Throughout December HTS launched 30 operations in and around Idlib and Aleppo provinces. The Hezbollah commander was killed after a guided missile struck his vehicle in the Aleppo countryside.

The military escalation led by HTS coincides with the Turkish rapprochement with the Syrian Government and the recent announcement by President Erdogan of his readiness to meet with his Syria counterpart.

Kabul Hotel Attack

On December 12, militants belonging to Islamic State – Khorasan Province (IS-KP or ISIS in Afghanistan) attacked a hotel frequented by Chinese businessmen in Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul. IS-KP claimed the attack through a Telegram channel and confirmed the anti-China motives of the attack. Three civilians were killed with 18 wounded, five of whom were Chinese nationals. Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mojahid claimed after the attack that Islamic Emirate security forces had eliminated all three Taliban gunmen, however IS-KP media outlets claimed the escape of one of the attackers, pictured above. The attack came one day after the Chinese ambassador called upon the Taliban to pay more attention to security issues. 

Peru Protests

Over 28 people have been killed in Peru as protests erupted early in December over the impeachment of now-former President Pedro Castillo over his alleged ‘moral incapacity’. President Castillo attempted to dissolve parliament in light of the impeachment attempt on the grounds of, a move dubbed by analysts as a ‘self-coup attempt’. With the self-coup failing, Castillo was subsequently impeached, arrested, and the position of presidency was made vacant. Pro-Castillo protests broke out across the country, and on December 15 protesters attempting to take over Ayacucho’s airport were fired upon by security forces, leading to the death of 10 and injury of over 60. Reports indicated that the deceased were marked by gunshot wounds to the head and/or torso, and that 90% of the injured bore bullet wounds.

Germany Far-Right Coup Plot

On December 7, 25 members of the so-called Patriot Union were arrested in various locations around Germany after German police learnt of a violent far-right coup plot. The Patriotic Union is part of the wider Reichsbürger movement, a movement that refuses to recognise the German government in favour of the German Empire, or Reich. The Patriotic Union’s coup would be lead by German aristocrat Heinrich XIII Prinz Reuss and police investigations at his hunting lodge revealed a weapons stockpile likely to be used in the coup attempt. Active military and police personnel were also arrested in the raids, as well as a former parliamentarian of the right-wing Alternative für Deutschland (AfD).

Tribal Clashes in South Sudan leave 56 Dead

At least 56 people were killed and more than a dozen others injured during recent ethnic violence in the Jonglei Region of eastern South Sudan, a local official said on Wednesday. Armed gangs of youths from the Nuer community attacked another ethnic group, a local official said on Tuesday, with the Nuer making up most of the casualties. 51 of the casualties came from the Nuer ethnic group, and 5 came from the defending Murle ethnic group. Murle community leader David Ngiro condemned the fighting and called on humanitarian groups to intervene. “We also call on the central and Jonglei state governments to take action to stop this act of genocide against the Murle tribe.”

The Taliban Ban Women from attending University

The Taliban issued a decree that banned women from higher education, taking immediate effect from December 20. This comes after the Taliban excluded Afghan girls from secondary education after their takeover in 2021. The decree prompted wide scale protests in the Afghan capital, Kabul, where both female and male students voiced their opposition to the banning. Male students also staged walk outs form universities as it seems Taliban rule is facing more and more civil opposition, particularly from more educated circles in Kabul. Multiple countries condemned the move with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stating that “The Taliban cannot expect to be a legitimate member of the international community until they respect the rights of all in Afghanistan.” 

Irish UN Peacekeeper Killed in Lebanon

Irish soldier Private Seán Rooney was killed in South Lebanon whilst serving as a peacekeeper with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon on December 14. Reports have indicated that anywhere between two armed men and an armed mob surrounded and opened fire on Rooney’s armoured vehicle convoy (which was flying UN colours) that was travelling to Beirut. The convoy may have taken a wrong turn that led to Private Rooney’s death, and some reports have indicated that the convoy may have hit a local, whereas others report that armed men opened fire upon the convoy first. Hezbollah were initially believed to be behind the attack but quickly distanced themselves. Some analysts have suspected that Hezbollah are incited local non-members to fire upon the vehicle, a tactic often used by Iranian backed militias where a group can conduct attacks and evade retribution. 

Tensions Flare up between Kosovo and Serbia

Tensions have flared up in the Western Balkans as tempers flared between Kosovo’s ethnic Serb minority and the ethnic Albanian, Kosovo government. The Serbian army has reportedly been placed at its “highest level of combat readiness” according to Miloš Vučević, the country’s Defense Minister. The announcement comes after Serbian media made unverified claims that  Kosovar police forces opened fire while trying to tear down a barricade erected by ethnic Serbs in northern Kosovo. Kosovo denies that the incident occurred. Ethnic Serbs in Kosovo’s North have been increasingly uncooperative with Kosovar authorities due to the latter’s attempt to enforce Kosovar licence plates upon the Serb minority who prefer to use Serbian plates. 

89 Russians Killed in Ukrainian Airstrike 

On the 31st December, Ukrainian forces conducted a highly effective rocket strike on a Russian military stronghold in Makiivka, Donetsk, causing the deaths of anywhere between 89 (Russian claim) and 400 (Ukrainian claim) Russian soldiers. Ammunition and military equipment had reportedly been stored in the buildings housing the Russian soldiers, contributing to the strength of the blast. Lieutenant General Sergey Sevryukov stated in a video that, “It is already obvious that the main reason for what happened was the switching on and massive use — contrary to the prohibition — by personnel of mobile phones in a reach zone of enemy weapons.”