House passes FISA renewal; Maine Gov. Mills suspends Senate campaign; Supreme Court weakens Voting Rights Act

Drop Site Daily: April 30, 2026

Iran’s Supreme Leader hails “new chapter” in Strait of Hormuz. U.S. considering “short and powerful” wave of strikes against Iran. Iranian President: Iran open to resume diplomacy if U.S. drops “maximalist approach” and blockade. Iran war has cost U.S. $25 billion, Pentagon says. Oil prices briefly cross wartime peak. New maps show “Orange Line” expanding Israeli control of Gaza. Hamas warns Gaza ceasefire “edging close to collapse.” Israeli forces kill 15-year-old Palestinian during raid in Hebron. Israel intercepts Gaza-bound aid flotilla. Unchecked surveillance reauthorization clears House. Maine Gov. Janet Mills suspends Senate campaign. Supreme Court guts Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act in 6-3 ruling. Jerome Powell to remain on Fed board after chairmanship expires, citing “unprecedented” White House pressure. Russian attacks kill three, wound 17. Chemical warning alert issued after Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil infrastructure. U.S. and allies release statement in support of Panamanian sovereignty. U.S. charges sitting Sinaloa governor and nine officials with cartel ties. Madagascar detains French serviceman, expels embassy agent over alleged destabilization plot. Mali’s Tuareg rebels demand Russian withdrawal. Sudan’s army chief vows no negotiations with RSF. Somali forces kill 22 al-Shabaab militants. India floats plan to deploy crocodiles and venomous snakes as living border barriers against migrants.

From Drop Site: A growing rat infestation plagues tent cities in Gaza.

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U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justices Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas, and Brett Kavanaugh at the conclusion of the inauguration ceremonies in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol on January 20, 2025 in Washington, DC. Photo by Chip Somodevilla / POOL / AFP via Getty Images.

Iran and Ceasefire

• Iran’s Supreme Leader hails “new chapter” in Strait of Hormuz: Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei said on Thursday that Iran will protect its “nuclear and missile capabilities” as national assets, and that two months after the U.S.-Israel war on Iran began, “a new chapter is emerging in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz.” In a written statement read by a state television anchor in commemoration of National Persian Gulf Day, Khamenei said, “We and our neighbors across the waters of the Persian Gulf and the (Gulf) of Oman share a common destiny. Foreigners who come from thousands of kilometers away to act with greed and malice there have no place in it—except at the bottom of its waters.” He added, “America’s hollow bases do not even have the strength and capacity to ensure their own security, let alone that there is any hope that America will provide security to its dependents and American-loving people in the region.” He stated that a “new legal framework and management system,” for the Strait of Hormuz, will economically benefit Iran, as well as “advance comfort and development for all the region’s nations.”

• U.S. considering “short and powerful” wave of strikes: U.S. Central Command has presented President Donald Trump with a plan for a “short and powerful” wave of strikes on Iran, Axios reported, with an eye to “breaking the negotiating deadlock.” The strikes would likely include infrastructure targets, the report said. Senior Iranian officials told Drop Site earlier this month that in the event of another round of attacks, Iran would suspend diplomatic channels with the United States indefinitely and “impose significantly greater costs on United States interests.” Central Command chief Brad Cooper is set to brief Trump on Thursday on a range of options for escalation against Iran, including these strikes, seizure of parts of the Strait of Hormuz to reopen shipping, and special forces operations targeting Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile, according to Axios.

• Iranian President: Iran open to resume diplomacy if U.S. drops “maximalist approach” and blockade: Tehran is open to resuming diplomacy with the United States if Washington reduces its “maximalist approach” and stops its blockade targeting Iranian ports and ships in the Persian Gulf, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said during a phone call with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi Thursday, according to the Islamic Republic News Agency. Pezeshkian discussed regional developments and criticised U.S. measures such as restrictions on Iranian maritime activity, saying they complicate the regional environment. While reaffirming Iran’s willingness to pursue diplomatic solutions and a “fair resolution” to the conflict, he said progress depends on the U.S. adjusting its approach and avoiding further escalatory steps.

• Iran war has cost U.S. $25 billion, Pentagon says: Acting Defense Department comptroller Jules Hurst III told the House Armed Services Committee on Wednesday that the war on Iran has already cost the United States roughly $25 billion, with most of the spending going to munitions, including roughly 1,100 JASSM-ER stealth cruise missiles and more than 1,000 Tomahawk missiles. Several experts have pushed back against the $25 billion figure, with Democratic Representative Jason Crow, an Army veteran, saying the real figure is “probably 2 or 3 times that—guaranteed.” Stimson Center research fellow Kelly Grieco estimates munitions expenditures alone at $17 to $25 billion, with confirmed equipment losses—including E-3 Sentry surveillance aircraft, radars, KC-135 tankers, and F-15s—adding at least another $5 billion before operational costs and base damage are factored in. The Pentagon is preparing a supplemental funding request for Congress, which reports say could reach as high as $200 billion. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also addressed the cost of the war in an appearance before Congress on Wednesday, responding to a question from Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) about the effects of the war on the cost of gas and food for Americans by accusing him of “playing gotcha about domestic things.”

• Oil prices briefly cross wartime peak: Global oil prices surged early on Thursday with the price of Brent crude briefly crossing $126 per barrel, its highest since the launch of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran in late February and the highest level since 2022 amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Before the war began, Brent crude was trading around $70 per barrel.

• Columbia University reports show Iran’s energy resilience: A new report from Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy concludes that forced production shutdowns of Iran’s oil fields are unlikely to cause serious or permanent damage. The analysis finds Iran could resume production at roughly 70 percent capacity “promptly” if the blockade is lifted, recovering most pre-war output within months, citing the country’s track record of successful shutdowns and restarts following the 2016 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action and the post-Covid recovery in 2023. A second report from Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy found that Iran holds considerably more crude storage capacity than previously assumed, suggesting forced production shut-ins are not as imminent as US officials have indicated. Total Iranian crude stocks stood at approximately 68 million barrels as of April 22—roughly 55 percent of nameplate capacity—leaving an estimated 17 to 20 days of effective spare storage at current export rates. Columbia analyst Antoine Halff, who co-founded the geospatial intelligence firm Kayrros that provided the underlying data, notes that Iran has deliberately expanded its storage infrastructure and diversified export options since 2016 in what appears to be deliberate contingency planning.

• Lithuania signals support for joining U.S.-led Strait of Hormuz navigation coalition: Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said Thursday he supports his country joining the U.S.-led “freedom of navigation” mission in the Strait of Hormuz and intends to present the proposal to the State Defence Council, though he noted parliamentary approval would be required. The announcement comes as Washington is actively pushing allied nations to join the coalition to restore shipping access through the strait, according to a State Department cable seen by Reuters.

• JPMorgan’s Dimon warns of coming bond crisis: JPMorgan Chase Chief Executive Jamie Dimon cautioned Tuesday that compounding geopolitical and fiscal pressures—including elevated oil prices, widening government deficits, and instability stemming from the Iran war—are pushing global markets toward a bond crisis. Speaking at the Norges Bank Investment Management annual conference in Oslo, Dimon warned that a credit recession, when it arrives, “would be worse than people think” and “might be terrible.”

Lebanon

• Casualty count: At least 2,586 people have been killed and 8,020 wounded in Israeli attacks in Lebanon since March 2, according to Lebanon’s Ministry of Health.

• Israeli attacks on Lebanon continue:

  • At least 9 people were killed—including 5 women and 2 children—and 23 wounded, among them 8 children and 7 women, in Israeli attacks on Thursday morning, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry via the National News Agency, with the heaviest casualties reported in Jibshit and Toul.

  • Additional strikes hit towns such as Chehabiyeh and Sultaneyah, while artillery targeted areas near Zawtar al-Sharqiya and Mifdoun.

  • The Israeli army issued forced displacement orders to residents in 15 southern Lebanese villages, ordering them to move at least one kilometer away into open areas.

  • Hezbollah said it carried out drone attacks on Israeli military targets, stating the operations were conducted “in response to the Israeli enemy’s breach of the ceasefire and attacks on villages and the destruction of homes in southern Lebanon,” and claimed direct hits on Merkava tanks in Bint Jbeil and artillery positions south of Yarine. Twelve Israeli soldiers were wounded in the attacks.

Gaza, the West Bank, and Israel

• Casualty count: Over the last 24 hours, two Palestinians were killed—one killed in a new attack and another recovered from under the rubble after an earlier attack—and eight were injured across Gaza. The total recorded death toll since October 7, 2023 has risen to 72,601 killed, with 172,419 injured. Since October 11, the first full day of the so-called ceasefire, Israel has killed at least 824 Palestinians in Gaza and wounded 2,316, while 764 bodies have been recovered from under the rubble, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.

• New maps show “Orange Line” expanding Israeli control of Gaza: The Israeli military quietly issued new maps of Gaza showing an expanded restricted area that make up an estimated 11% of Gaza’s territory beyond the “Yellow Line” demarcating the part of the enclave occupied and controlled by Israeli troops since the October “ceasefire,” according to Reuters. The new maps show Israel effectively controlling nearly two-thirds of Gaza. The Israeli military sent the maps to aid groups in Gaza in mid-March. The additional restricted area is marked on the maps with an orange line and the Israeli military reportedly said the area between the orange and yellow lines is a restricted zone to enable aid delivery. COGAT, the branch of the Israeli military that oversees the occupation of the West Bank and Gaza, publicly acknowledged the expanded zone in response to Reuters saying, “The boundaries of these areas (the Orange Line), in which coordination is required, are determined and updated in accordance with the operational situational assessment.”

• Hamas warns Gaza ceasefire “edging close to collapse”: Senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan said Israel’s actions are pushing the Gaza ceasefire toward collapse, rejecting the idea of isolated “violations” and instead calling it ongoing aggression “at a lower intensity,” in an interview with Al-Jazeera Mubasher on Wednesday. He sharply criticized U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff, accusing him of playing a “dirty game” by enabling Israeli non-compliance, adding that trust in him is now “shaken.” Hamdan stressed Hamas’s stance: “we honor [agreements]—unless the other party nullifies it,” and warned that Israel is “edging close to nullifying the agreement.”

• Israeli forces kill 15-year-old Palestinian during raid in Hebron: Ibrahim Abdul Fattah Al-Khayat, 15, was killed Wednesday evening after being shot by Israeli forces during a raid on the Hawz area of Hebron in the southern occupied West Bank, according to Palestine Online. Medical sources said he was struck by a live bullet in the abdomen and transferred to a Hebron hospital in a private vehicle, where doctors announced his death. Israeli forces raided the area with a large number of military vehicles, closed the main road, forced shops to shut, and fired live ammunition and tear gas at residents, wounding others; a civilian was also arrested, and a charity headquarters was stormed and searched.

• Israel intercepts Gaza-bound aid flotilla: Israeli forces have intercepted a number of boats from the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF), a humanitarian mission heading toward Gaza and challenging its blockade, using drones, communications jamming, and armed boarding teams near the Greek island of Crete, said organizers on Thursday. “Our boats were approached by military speedboats, self-identified as ‘Israel’, pointing lasers and semi-automatic assault weapons, ordering participants to the front of the boats and to get on their hands and knees,” the GSF mission said. Flotilla organisers report that at least 22 vessels were surrounded and seized about 965 kilometers from Gaza, while 36 boats remain en route. Israeli authorities confirmed detaining around 175 activists and taking control of ships. The flotilla says its objectives are to challenge Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza, push for a permanent humanitarian corridor, and increase international pressure on those supporting the blockade.

• Rat infestation exacerbates suffering for displaced Palestinians in Gaza: A proliferating rodent crisis is menacing displaced Palestinians across Gaza, where families—living in overcrowded tents and makeshift shelters amid mountains of uncollected waste and untreated sewage—report nightly attacks by rats and mice biting sleeping children, destroying food stores, and chewing through clothing. A United Nations rapid assessment of more than 1,600 displacement sites this month found rodents and pests frequently visible in over 80 percent of them, affecting 1.45 million people, with more than 70,000 skin infection cases—including scabies, lice, and bedbugs—recorded so far in 2026. Majd Sukar, head of the Gaza Municipality’s Preventive Health Department, attributed the crisis to the scale of Israeli bombardment creating ideal breeding grounds, compounded by an Israeli blockade on rodenticides, insecticides and other basic sanitation supplies—leaving municipal responders without the vehicles, equipment, or chemical tools needed to contain what Sukar called “a war of rats” layered onto the war of bombs. Read the full report from Ahmed Dremly here.

• Gaza Health Director: Israel systematically blocking medical supplies as disability crisis compounds: Dr. Muneer Alboursh, Director General of Gaza’s Ministry of Health, warned Wednesday that Israeli forces are systematically targeting Gaza’s health sector and blocking the entry of medical supplies—including prosthetics—as the territory faces a rapidly expanding disability crisis. Before the war, Gaza had 55,000 registered disability cases. With approximately 172,000 people wounded since the war began, medical estimates suggest 25% will sustain permanent disabilities—adding roughly 43,000 new cases and bringing the total to nearly 100,000. More than 5,000 amputations have already been documented, 20% of them children and 11% women.

U.S. News

By Julian Andreone, with Ryan Grim. Have a tip on Capitol Hill? Email Andreone at Julian@dropsitenews.com.

• Unchecked surveillance reauthorization clears House: Forty-two Democrats in the House of Representatives joined Republicans in voting to pass a reauthorization of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act without any amendments to close the data broker loophole, allowing the U.S. government to purchase Americans’ information from companies like Google and Meta, or the backdoor search loophole, which allows the American intelligence apparatus to access, without a warrant, the communications of any citizen who has contact with a person outside the United States and use the data to spy on them or even recruit them to an intelligence agency. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) said before the bill passed that it would be “dead on arrival” in the Senate because it includes an amendment that would ban a Federal Reserve Central Bank Digital Currency. This means the House will likely need to vote again today on a different FISA package to prevent it from expiring by the Thursday deadline. As Glenn Greenwald notes, both parties played games with their votes to allow the measure to pass Wednesday.

• Maine governor suspends Senate campaign: Maine Gov. Janet Mills suspended her Senate campaign Thursday morning, citing an inability to compete financially against Graham Platner, an oyster farmer and political newcomer who leads her by more than 30 points in recent polling. “While I have the drive and passion, commitment and experience, and above all else—the fight—to continue on, I very simply do not have the one thing that political campaigns unfortunately require today: the financial resources,” Mills said in her announcement. Platner, 41, is backed by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and has received large crowds at town halls across the state; he is now the likely Democratic nominee against five-term Republican incumbent Sen. Susan Collins.

• Supreme Court guts Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act in 6-3 ruling: The Supreme Court’s conservative majority struck down Louisiana’s majority-Black 6th Congressional District on Wednesday, finding it relied too heavily on race, effectively gutting the Section 2 provision of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 that has long protected minority communities from redistricting that dilutes their political power. Justice Samuel Alito wrote for the majority that Section 2 is now limited to cases of intentional discrimination—a far higher bar—while Justice Elena Kagan warned in dissent that the decision allows states to “systematically dilute minority citizens’ voting power” without legal consequence. The ruling is expected to have its broadest effect in 2028, when Republicans could move to redraw more than a dozen Democratic-held districts previously shielded under the law. In the wake of the decision, Louisiana’s Republican Gov. Jeff Landry told his party’s House candidates he would suspend next month’s primary elections so that state lawmakers could pass a new congressional map first; an official announcement of that suspension could come as early as Friday.

• Powell to remain on Fed board after chairmanship expires, citing “unprecedented” White House pressure: Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell confirmed Wednesday he will remain on the Fed’s Board of Governors after his chairmanship expires May 15, staying on for a “period of time to be determined” as a governor—a move that prevents President Donald Trump from immediately filling his seat and potentially shifting the balance of the Federal Open Market Committee. Powell cited the Trump administration’s “unprecedented” legal pressure on the central bank as his reason for staying, and said he will remain until the matter is resolved “with transparency and finality.” He acknowledged Kevin Warsh as his likely successor, said he would keep a “low profile” to avoid functioning as a shadow chair, and noted his governor’s term runs until January 2028—giving him legal standing to remain on the board regardless of who succeeds him as chair.

• Pro-Israel super PAC attempts to conceal ad buy in Nebraska congressional primary: Democratic Majority for Israel had placed a $176,050 ad buy targeting populist candidate John Cavanaugh in Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District primary before a video surfaced of centrist candidate Denise Powell pledging on camera to reject support from AIPAC and DMFI. “Yes, I’m not accepting money from any special-interest group in this category,” Powell told a Nebraska Young Democrats Forum, referring to Israel. In a matter of days, however, New Democrat Majority PAC had increased its own ad purchase by the same amount as the canceled DMFI buy, with identical reservations on the same broadcast and cable channels—a transfer confirmed by an internal Hearst Television email stating “cancel spending for DMFI PAC and moving money to New Democratic Majority.” Powell has continued to deny accepting or soliciting support from pro-Israel groups, but her campaign declined to condemn the spending shift or call on New Democrat Majority to take down the transferred ads. Read more about the race in the latest from David Dayen at the American Prospect, here.

• Street denies taking AIPAC money: Pennsylvania State Senator Sharif Street denied receiving any money from AIPAC during a congressional debate with State Assemblyman Chris Rabb; both are vying to represent Pennsylvania’s 3rd Congressional District. Drop Site’s Ryan Grim notes, however, that the portal AIPAC uses to funnel money to candidates—the “Pro-Israel Network”—previously featured Street on its website, soliciting donations of $500 and $1,000 to his campaign.

• AOC lays out vision for peeling MAHA voters away from Trump: The EPA has not gotten back to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) since she exposed its administrator, Lee Zeldin, for meeting with Bayer-Monsanto about their legal issues on glyphosate in a House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing Tuesday. Zeldin testified under oath earlier in the hearing that he had not met with those executives; after Ocasio-Cortez pointed out that he had in fact met with them, Zeldin said the meetings were “brief.” AOC told Drop Site’s Julian Andreone that she thinks Democrats can win back MAHA voters, saying, “There is very real, deep and persistent corruption in poisoning American communities.”

• Haley Stevens rips Mallory McMorrow in Michigan Senate race: This week, CNN uncovered old Mallory McMorrow social media posts making derogatory comments about the Midwest. What matters is how Stevens responded, specifically by coming hard at McMorrow. According to a recent survey sponsored by Drop Site and Zeteo, antiwar candidate Dr. Abdul El-Sayed is in position to win a three person race against both McMorrow and Rep. Haley Stevens, but would likely lose to either one in a head-to-head contest. The animosity between McMorrow and Stevens makes it likelier that each stays in the race, increasing El-Sayed’s odds.

Other International News

• Russian attacks kill three, wound 17: Russian attacks across Ukraine killed at least three people and wounded 17 over the past 24 hours, regional officials said Wednesday, as U.S.-led peace negotiations remain largely on pause. In Donetsk, at least two people were killed and four wounded across 19 Russian attacks that damaged dozens of residential buildings and infrastructure; in Sumy, a 60-year-old woman died from carbon monoxide poisoning after drone strikes “deliberately aimed at residential buildings” caused large-scale fires; and overnight attacks in Odesa struck civilian infrastructure, including a hospital, damaging its cardiological and surgical departments and wounding two.

• Chemical warning alert issued after Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil infrastructure: Russian authorities issued a chemical hazard emergency warning in parts of the city of Perm on Thursday after Ukrainian drones struck industrial sites across the region, in a second day of heavy drone attacks on Russian oil and gas infrastructure deep inside the country. Governor Dmitry Makhonin said workers sheltered in place, reported “no significant damage,” and confirmed no injuries—but residents described a chemical odor in the air, and social media footage showed large smoke columns over the city. NASA satellite imagery also captured a black plume trailing roughly 80 miles east of the city. Ukraine has continued a wave of attacks on Russian oil and gas facilities across the west of the county using long-range drones.

• U.S. and allies release statement in support of Panamanian sovereignty: The United States and five regional partners issued a joint statement backing Panama’s sovereignty, a move that underscores Washington’s renewed focus on the Panama Canal as a strategic asset and concerns about Chinese “economic pressure” in the region. Canal-adjacent port operations had long been managed by a Hong Kong–based company without major U.S. objection. Panama’s Supreme Court annulled that company’s contract in January. The U.S. has alleged that China has taken excessive retaliatory action, with its Federal Maritime Commission reporting that China detained nearly 70 Panamanian-flagged ships in March alone. Beijing responded to this week’s statement by saying that “it is the United States that is politicizing and over-securitizing the port issue.” The statement has elevated concerns about further foreign involvement in the region; in January, Trump told reporters that a U.S. takeover of the Canal is “sort of on the table.”

• U.S. charges sitting Sinaloa governor and nine officials with cartel ties: U.S. prosecutors unsealed an indictment Wednesday in New York charging Sinaloa state Governor Ruben Rocha Moya, 76, and nine current and former officials with working with the Sinaloa cartel’s “Chapitos” faction—the sons of imprisoned cartel co-founder Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman—to move narcotics into the U.S. in exchange for bribes and political support. The indictment alleges that the cartel assisted Rocha Moya in his 2021 gubernatorial election by kidnapping opposition candidates, stealing ballots, and intimidating opponents. Three of those indicted are members of Claudia Sheinbaum’s Morena party. The indictment comes on the heels of a CIA scandal that saw agents operating without authorization in opposition-governed Chihuahua state.

• Madagascar detains French serviceman, expels embassy agent over alleged destabilization plot: Madagascar has detained former French national serviceman Guy Baret and declared a French embassy agent persona non grata over an alleged plot to destabilize the country, authorities announced Tuesday. Deputy Prosecutor Nomenarinera Mihamintsoa Ramanantsoa confirmed Baret has been placed in pretrial detention at Tsiafahy maximum-security prison alongside Malagasy army Colonel Patrick Rakotomamonjy and other alleged accomplices. Prosecutors have charged the group with spreading false information, plotting to sabotage infrastructure, including power lines and thermal plants operated by state utility Jirama, and criminal conspiracy, with actions allegedly planned for April 18. France summoned Madagascar’s charge d’affaires in Paris to “vigorously protest” the expulsion, calling the destabilization accusations “not only unfounded, but also incomprehensible.” France previously helped former President Andry Rajoelina flee Madagascar in October after youth-led protests over water and energy shortages brought President Michael Randrianirina to power.

• Mali’s Tuareg rebels demand Russian withdrawal: Mali’s Azawad Liberation Front said Wednesday its objective is for Russia’s Africa Corps to “withdraw permanently” from the country, with spokesperson Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane telling AFP during a visit to Paris to meet French security officials that the rebels view Russia’s intervention negatively because Moscow “supported people who committed serious crimes and massacres” under President Assimi Goita’s government, which seized power in a 2020 coup. The statement follows a coordinated weekend offensive by a rebel alliance including the Azawad Front and the al-Qaeda-linked JNIM across multiple cities, during which Goita’s Defence Minister was killed. Russian fighters were seen withdrawing from the northern town of Kidal in trucks after reportedly negotiating an exit corridor through Algerian mediation. Ramadane said the rebels intend to push on toward Gao, Timbuktu, and Menaka, and claimed the Goita government would fall “sooner or later.” France has urged its nationals to leave Mali “as soon as possible” given the volatile security situation.

• Sudan’s army chief vows no negotiations with RSF: Sudanese Armed Forces commander General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan reiterated Wednesday his refusal to negotiate with the Rapid Support Forces, vowing to continue military operations until the country is “fully cleared” in remarks at a ceremony honoring former chiefs of staff on Wednesday. Burhan said there would be no negotiation with the RSF or those who support them, vowing to end what he called Sudan’s “nightmare.”

• Somali forces kill 22 al-Shabaab militants: Somalia’s military killed 22 al-Shabaab militants, including a commander, in an operation conducted alongside foreign troops in the country’s Lower Shabelle region, the government announced Wednesday.

• Nigerian troops kill 18 militants: Nigerian troops killed at least 18 Islamist militants and destroyed several insurgent enclaves in coordinated operations across Borno state, the military announced Wednesday, with 11 fighters killed in the Bulabulin forest and seven in the Timbuktu axis. The operations are part of an intensifying campaign to dismantle strongholds of Boko Haram and its splinter group Islamic State West Africa Province, which have waged a 17-year insurgency across the country’s Borno state, killing thousands and displacing two million people.

• India floats plan to deploy crocodiles and venomous snakes as living border barriers against migrants: India’s Border Security Force issued an internal directive in late March ordering frontier units to explore “the feasibility of deploying reptiles in vulnerable riverine gaps” along the country’s 4,096-kilometer border with Bangladesh, where difficult marshy and riverine terrain has made fencing impossible in stretches, according to a document first reported by Northeast News. Wildlife conservationists warn the plan is ecologically unworkable—crocodiles are not native to the border regions and would likely die if relocated, while flooding could spread venomous snakes into residential fishing communities on both sides—and human rights activists have condemned it as an extension of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government’s broader campaign of “extrajudicial methods” against undocumented migrants. Al Jazeera’s full investigation of the potential policy is available here.

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