Obama or Trump: Who is the real ‘drone president?’

In his first two years in office, President Donald Trump has authorised 238 drone strikes against terrorist groups, surpassing his predecessor President Barack Obama. Despite his statements, Obama had been quite aggressive and eager to use armed drones as a foreign policy tool. Between 2009 and 2010, Obama authorised 186 drone strikes. Both presidents’ strikes have […]

The Pic of the Day: Pakistani military exhibiting weapons for Russian officials

Russia and Pakistan recently conducted their third annual joint military drills aimed at improving military interoperability and cooperation. Russian Army Contingent arrived in Pakistan to participate in Pak-Russia Joint Training Excercise ‘Druzhba-III’. This is 3rd exercise as part of Pak-Russia bilateral training cooperation. The 1st Exercise was held in Pakistan during 2016 while 2nd in […]

Father of Taliban killed in Pakistan

Peshawar, Pakistan — Sami ul-Haq, also known as the spiritual father of the Taliban, was assassinated near his house in the suburbs of Islamabad. The prominent Muslim cleric was found dead by his relatives. Thus far, the identity of his attackers remains unknown. Haq was the teacher of numerous high-profile Afghan and Pakistani Taliban leaders.  Recently, […]

Is this the world’s toughest military exercise?

Wales, United Kingdom—Exercise Cambrian Patrol: Is this the world’s toughest military exercise? Forty-eight hours. Over 40 miles across the arduous Brecon Beacons. Weather conditions: awful. Personal loads in the excess of 80 pounds. Who will win? Did I mention that Cambrian Patrol is an unofficial race? The annual exercise is organised by the 160th Infantry […]

Iran’s drug problem

Iran is notorious for the opium flowing within its borders. A significant portion of their population is plagued with addictions to opiates, and their meth problem is pretty severe as well. Some estimates in 2015 put the number of those addicted to illegal drugs at 2.2 million — 2.75% of the overall population. It has […]

Death toll in Pakistan suicide bombing rises to 132

Mastung, Balochistan, Pakistan — Yet another explosion from a suicide bomber tore through Pakistan on Friday, killing scores of local Pakistanis. The death toll has currently risen to 132, a devastating blow to the entire country. Over 300 people are reported to have been injured. The attack occurred at a Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) rally […]

The language and propaganda of the Taliban

Propaganda has existed in countless forms throughout history, as those in positions of power have tended to try to sway the public opinion one way or another in order to achieve certain goals. This facet of human nature has not changed much in the last few thousand years, only their methods. People tend to argue […]

Pakistani party leader killed in Taliban suicide bombing, along with 19 others

Peshawar — A suicide bomb ripped through a political rally in Pakistan on Tuesday night. 20 people were killed, and approximately 63 were wounded. Among the dead was the politician Haroon Bilour, 47, of the Awami National Party. The Taliban in Pakistan (Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan or TTP) have claimed responsibility for the attack. The Pakistan general […]

Opinion: Afghanistan and the ignored headlines

We have been at war for a long time. It’s likely that this article is preaching to the choir, as many of SOFREP’s readers were intimately involved in the war themselves, or at least know many people who were. However, even in many veteran circles, interest in news regarding Afghanistan has begun to wane. An […]

Mullah Fazlullah, Leader of Pakistan Taliban Killed in Airstrike

  A U.S.-Afghan airstrike has killed the Taliban leader in Pakistan. A senior Afghan Defense Ministry official said on Friday, that Taliban leader Mullah Fazlullah was killed in the air attack.   The U.S. military said in Washington on Thursday it had carried out a strike aimed at a senior militant figure in the eastern […]