CWA # 2262
CW Newsmakers
Drone attacks in Germany | Settler violence in Palestine
Somali Piracy | DR Congo's Ebola crisis | Attempted coup in Niger
Conflict Weekly #347, Vol 7, Nos. 34, 04 September 2026
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Madhura Meenakshi Tanikella, Namrata L Ghanghatkar, Priyanka Makhijani and Urja R Kudalkar
4 September 2026
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Drone attacks in Germany:
Berlin accuses Moscow of targeting Leipzig airport
On 02 September, The Guardian and other news outlets reported that German authorities formally accused Russia of conducting an attempted drone attack on Leipzig/Halle Airport, where an explosive-laden drone was discovered on 04 August near a Ukrainian Antonov cargo aircraft used to transport military goods to Ukraine. The drone was reportedly carrying around 600 grams of explosives and failed to detonate after its detonator apparently malfunctioned, while investigators also reported additional drone activity and traces of military explosives near the airport. Germany’s Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said police investigations, intelligence findings and the equipment used indicated Russia’s involvement, with the operation allegedly relying on Russia’s technology and “low-level agents”. Berlin described the incident as part of a broader campaign by Moscow of hybrid warfare involving sabotage across Europe. Germany responded by summoning Russia’s Ambassador, announcing the closure of Russia’s consulate in Bonn and the Russian House cultural centre in Berlin, while also tightening scrutiny of Russian nationals entering the country.
Additionally, NATO and EU officials expressed solidarity with Germany, with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte saying the evidence presented by Berlin was clear. Russia rejected the accusations as baseless and called Germany’s measures an unprecedented escalation. President Vladimir Putin specifically accused Berlin of fabricating evidence. The Leipzig incident comes amid a reportedly wider increase in drone sightings and suspected hybrid activities at airports, military and industrial sites across several NATO countries. Germany’s officials warned that the country remains a “daily target of hybrid warfare,” underscoring growing concern that covert Russian operations could threaten critical infrastructure and support for Ukraine. Moreover, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated that the EU and NATO will increase pressure on Russia and further characterised Moscow’s actions as “reckless.”
Settler violence in Palestine:
Palestinian homes and communities face attacks as settler violence increases.
On 24 August 2026, Al Jazeera and other outlets reported that Israeli settler violence against Palestinians has intensified across the occupied West Bank. Settlers have attacked Palestinian homes and communities, with the violence often occurring alongside Israeli military activity. More than 1,330 settler-related attacks were recorded between January and late July. The attacks include violence against civilians, damage to homes and property, and pressure on Palestinian communities. Experts and UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese have described the attacks as “pogroms”. In the latest wave of violence, settlers attacked a Palestinian home in Qusra, injuring residents, while an ambulance attempting to reach them was also attacked. In Jalud, a Palestinian family and an NBC News team were assaulted. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the attacks and blamed a “handful of rioters”. However, analysts said the violence needs to be viewed alongside wider settlement expansion in the West Bank. The violence has also affected Palestinian families in the United States. The Guardian reported on a Palestinian American family in Toledo, Ohio, whose relatives in Qusra faced the threat of settler attacks, bringing the issue directly into the local Palestinian American community.
The Kharg Island amid US-Iran tensions:
JD Vance says the AI-generated video was intended as a warning to Iran
On 31 August, Reuters reported that US Vice President JD Vance stated that President Trump was “sending a message to the Iranians” with the AI-generated video showing Iran’s Kharg Island being destroyed. A US official later said that Kharg Island had not been targeted in the overnight strikes, while an Iranian official dismissed the post as “laughable”. Kharg Island is a small island in the Persian Gulf, off Iran’s southern coast, and is the country’s main oil export hub. It is connected to Iran’s oil fields through pipelines and has facilities for storing and loading crude oil onto tankers. Reuters has reported that the island handles about 90 per cent of Iran’s oil exports, making it one of the country’s most important economic assets. Much of Iran’s exported oil is shipped to China. The island is important not only economically but also strategically. Any major disruption to Kharg’s oil facilities could severely affect Iran’s ability to earn foreign currency and maintain its energy trade. Earlier US strikes had targeted military facilities on the island while avoiding its oil infrastructure. The latest post therefore attracted attention because an actual attack on Kharg could have major consequences for Iran’s economy and regional oil supplies.
Somali Piracy:
Hijackings increase amid weakened maritime security
On 31 August, Al Jazeera and other news outlets reported that Somali piracy has resurged sharply in the Gulf of Aden and waters off Somalia, with between 13 and 15 attacks recorded since the start of 2026. The latest incident reportedly involved a Cameroon-flagged cargo vessel, MV Lutuf, which was seized off Puntland on 17 August and held for 10 days. Somalia’s government said that Türkiye’s and Somalia’s forces jointly freed the vessel, killing 14 pirates and destroying four boats. Puntland authorities conversely stated that the vessel was released after a ransom payment was made, further warning that this could encourage further hijackings. This incident was followed by the seizure of the Eritrean-flagged MT Sibu near Yemen.
Analysts and scholars attributed the resurgence of piracy to reduced naval attention caused by the US-Iran conflict, lack of security around the Strait of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab, persistent economic hardship, and illegal fishing and weak coastal governance in Somalia. Moreover, the Joint Maritime Information Centre raised its piracy threat assessment to “severe” during April-May. However, despite the recent increase, piracy reportedly remains below the surge seen in the 2010s, when Somali pirates carried out more than 200 attacks. Omar Mahmood of the International Crisis Group noted that the piracy could be considered “a crime of opportunity”, warning that successful attacks could prompt further copycat incidents. Additionally, experts warn that naval patrols alone are not likely to provide a solution without addressing underlying economic, security, and governance problems.
DR Congo's Ebola crisis:
Ebola case count breaks 6,000 as death toll nears 3,000, five survivors discharged
On 01 September, WHO and other major sources reported that the Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has surpassed 6,000 confirmed cases, making it the country's largest outbreak on record and one of the fastest-growing Ebola epidemics ever documented. WHO's 28 August update recorded 5,794 confirmed cases and 2,786 deaths as of 26 August, a case fatality ratio of 48.1 per cent, with the outbreak spreading from 54 to 60 health zones across six provinces. By 31 August, health authorities reported 6,041 confirmed cases and 2,911 deaths, with 1,366 recoveries, surpassing the country's previous record outbreak of 3,317 cases between 2018 and 2020. The outbreak, declared on 15 May and caused by the Bundibugyo virus, is unfolding amid insecurity, armed violence, and mass displacement, with over one million people internally displaced in Ituri province alone, the epicentre with 4,802 cases. WHO began vaccinating health workers with the Ervebo vaccine on 27 August, though its efficacy against this virus strain remains unconfirmed. Amid the rising toll, five survivors, including a healthcare worker, were discharged from treatment centres in Béni on 31 August, with officials calling it a "momentous day" even as cases continue climbing.
Attempted coup in Niger:
Renegade soldiers attack Niger’s presidential palace and airport
On 29 August, Reuters and other news outlets reported that mutinous soldiers attacked Niger’s presidential palace and the main airport in Niamey, triggering hours of gunfire and explosions and briefly knocking state television off air. Niger’s Defence Ministry said the armed forces gradually retook control of the sites, though mutineers reportedly remained at the airport for much of the day, with the presidential palace secured by loyalist troops by mid-morning. The assault, described by some analysts as an attempted coup, involved soldiers from Ouallam, Tera and Dosso regions that have suffered heavy casualties fighting jihadist groups, with analysts citing mounting frustration within frontline military units as a possible motive. President Abdourahamane Tiani, who has ruled Niger since seizing power in a 2023 coup, made no public appearance during the unrest. The Alliance of Sahel States, comprising Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso, backed Niger’s military and said the mutineers had been thwarted.
Russia said its forces had helped repel the coup attempt, with Moscow’s foreign ministry saying Nigerien troops had regained control “with the assistance of servicemen of the African Corps of the Russian Ministry of Defence.” Russia said it would continue supporting Niger against “extremists,” while state media showed footage of alleged mutineers being arrested. Commercial activity began returning to normal the following day, with businesses reopening and government supporters gathering in Niamey. Air Base 101, the military site targeted in the attack, hosts Nigerien aircraft, an AES counter-terrorism unit and Russian and Italian forces, and had previously been attacked twice this year by jihadist affiliates.