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

51 Soldiers killed by Insurgents in Burkina Faso

At least 51 Burkinabe soldiers were killed by insurgents in Burkina Faso on February 17 in the Oudalan province, in the northern border regions of the highly volatile West African state. The government has not accused a particular group of committing the attack, however claimed that 160 insurgents were killed in a retaliatory airstrike. With the French military withdrawing at the request of the military government led by Ibrahim Traore, the already precarious security situation will likely further deteriorate as insurgents continue to strike devastating attacks on the country’s military. 

Wagner Group brutally executes defector

The Russian mercenary group ‘Wagner’ released shocking footage showing the execution of a man it claims had defected to the Ukrainian side in the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine.  Dmitry Yakushchenko, 44, originally of Crimea, handed himself into the Ukrainians and was later given back to the Russians in a prisoner swap. Yakushchenko was reportedly serving a 19 prison sentence for murder and robbery before he answered to Wagner’s prison recruitment strategy. Once he was returned to the Wagner Group, Yakushenko was brutally bashed with a sledgehammer with his head mounted to stone bricks. 

11 Palestinians killed in rare daytime raid in Nablus

At least 11 Palestinians were killed and over 100 were injured in a rare daytime raid in the Palestinian city of Nablus in the West Bank, with local witnesses describing the scenes as a massacre. On February 22, Israeli security forces entered Nablus in the search for members of the militant Lion’s Den group. “They were shooting left and right, at anyone – those who had and didn’t have weapons. I was standing 2 metres away from a guy, watching the events, and he was shot and injured right next to me,” Khaled Jamal, a 25-year-old resident, told Al Jazeera. Among the dead were one 16-year-old and three elderly men.

Israeli settlers set fire to the Palestinian village of Huwara

Over 400 Palestinians were injured in the Palestinian village of Huwara and its surroundings on February 26 after Israeli settlers set fire to Palestinian homes, supposedly in response to an attack by a Palestinian gunman that led to the deaths of two Israeli settlers in the town. Israeli soldiers were present in the town but did not intervene to stop the settlers from burning the village and its people. In the reported number of 409 injuries, 90 were children and 136 were women.

Israeli airstrikes hit Damascus, leading to 15 deaths.

The Israeli Air Force conducted multiple air raids on various locations in Damascus in the early morning of February 19, one of which on a residential complex led to the deaths of 15 – a number that includes civilians, two of whom were women. Israeli fighter jets also targeted a warehouse used by the Iranian military and/or Hezbollah fighters. During over a decade of civil war in Syria, Israel has launched over 100 airstrikes on the Syrian government, usually targeting Syrian regime forces and allied parties such as Iran and Lebanese Hezbollah. 

7 dead in TTP raid in Karachi, Pakistan. 

On February 18, Pakistani Taliban militants (TTP) launched an attack on a police headquarters in Karachi, resulting in the death of at least seven people. The attackers barricaded themselves in the compound, but were eventually pursued by special operations units from both the police and military. In addition to a civilian, three security forces personnel were also killed during the attack. At least three of the militants involved were also killed. The TTP, or Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, is a militant organisation in Pakistan that aims to overthrow the Pakistani government and establish a system of government similar to that led by the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Senior ISIS leader killed in US operation

Military officials have confirmed that a US operation in northern Syria successfully killed a senior ISIS leader, Hamza al-Homsi. The operation involved a helicopter raid carried out in collaboration with the Syrian Democratic Forces, which resulted in an “explosion on target” that injured four US service members and a working dog. The injured individuals are currently receiving treatment at a facility in Iraq, as per a statement from CENTCOM. According to a senior military official familiar with the operation, three of the service members and the working dog are in stable condition.

US Shoots Down Chinese Balloon

In January 2023, a Chinese-operated high-altitude balloon was seen in North American airspace, including Alaska, western Canada, and the contiguous United States. The U.S. Air Force shot down the balloon on February 4 over U.S. territorial waters on the order of President Joe Biden. The American and Canadian militaries said that the balloon was for surveillance, while the Chinese government maintained it was a civilian airship. The incident increased U.S.-China tensions, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken postponed a diplomatic visit to Beijing while Canada summoned the Chinese ambassador in response. The balloon was tracked by U.S. officials since it was launched from Hainan, and it was likely headed for Guam and Hawaii.

60,000 Somali refugees arrive in Ethiopia

An increase in fighting in the town of Las Anod, in the Sool region, where tensions between local people and the governing Somaliland authorities have been building for weeks, has caused over 60,000 Somali refugees to flee to Ethiopia. The refugees have arrived in a part of Ethiopia that has been affected by drought due to five consecutive failed rains, with many sleeping in the open or seeking shelter in schools and public buildings. The UN reported on the situation and the plight of the refugees in Ethiopia. At least 82 have been killed in the fighting between Somaliland authorities and local tribes seeking to re-join Somalia. 

Kiwi pilot taken hostage by separatists in West Papua, Indonesia

Rebel fighters in Indonesia’s Papua region attacked a small commercial plane upon landing, taking the New Zealand pilot hostage. The incident occurred in a remote highland area in West Papua, and authorities have sent police and military personnel to locate the pilot and five passengers. The West Papua National Liberation Army claimed responsibility for the attack and demanded recognition of West Papua’s independence. The plane, operated by Susi Air, landed safely before being attacked. The pilot has been identified as Captain Philip Merhtens, and it is unclear if the five accompanying passengers were also abducted.