U.S. drone strike takes out Islamic group leader in Syria; North Korea accuses U.S. of violating its airspace, threatens to shoot down any future violators.
1. A U.S. drone strike killed an Islamic State group leader in Syria hours after the same MQ-9 Reaper drones were harassed by Russian military jets over the western part of the country, according to the Defense Department. Three Reapers had been flying overhead searching for the militant on Friday, a U.S. defense official said, when they were harassed for about two hours by Russian aircraft. Shortly after that, the drones struck and killed Usamah al-Muhajir, who was riding a motorcycle in the Aleppo region, said the official, who was not authorized to publicly discuss the matter and spoke on condition of anonymity to describe details of the military operation.
2. North Korea on Monday accused the United States of violating its airspace with reconnaissance aircraft and warned that Pyongyang may shoot them down in the future. North Korea claimed U.S. surveillance aircraft, including the crewed RC-135 and unmanned RQ-4 Global Hawk, flew over waters east and west of the Korean Peninsula between July 2 and Sunday “to conduct provocative aerial espionage,” according to a statement from the country’s Defense Ministry published Monday by the state-run Korean Central News Agency.
3. Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin days after a short-lived rebellion by the mercenary chief and his private army, the Kremlin’s spokesman said Monday. The three-hour meeting took place at the Kremlin on June 29 and also involved commanders from the military company Prigozhin founded, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
4. Russian-installed authorities in the Crimean peninsula on Sunday reported shooting down a cruise missile near the city of Kerch and briefly suspending traffic on the Kerch bridge that links the annexed territory to Russia. The Moscow-appointed governor of Crimea, Sergei Aksyonov, said the interception of the missile by Russian air defenses didn't result in any damage or casualties. He didn't offer any details, including the type of the missile and its origin.
5. South Korea’s president says it’s time to clearly demonstrate strong international resolve to deter North Korea’s nuclear ambitions, and he plans to discuss how to cope with the North’s expanding weapons arsenal with NATO leaders this week. Yoon Suk Yeol will attend the annual NATO summit being held this year in Vilnius, Lithuania, on Tuesday and Wednesday as part of a two-nation trip that includes a stop in Poland.
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