Early Bird Brief - Military Times

Today's Top 5

1. Yemen Withdraws Permission for U.S. Antiterror Ground Missions (New York Times) Angry at the civilian casualties incurred last month in the first commando raid authorized by President Trump, Yemen has withdrawn permission for the United States to run Special Operations ground missions against suspected terrorist groups in the country, according to American officials.

2. Iran pulls missile from launchpad after apparent prep for launch, US officials say (Fox News) Iran removed a powerful missile from a launchpad east of Tehran within the past few days, Fox News has learned, as U.S. and Iranian officials continued trading public barbs about the Islamic Republic's missile tests.

3. Gulf-backed Yemeni forces capture Red Sea coast city: agency (Reuters) Yemeni government forces backed by Gulf Arab troops have secured the Red Sea coast city of al-Mokha, United Arab Emirates news agency WAM reported on Tuesday, in a push that paves the way for an advance on the country's main port city of Hodeidah.

4. UN says 30,000 have returned to Iraq’s Mosul (Washington Post) The United Nations says some 30,000 people have returned to neighborhoods retaken from the Islamic State group in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul since a major operation to drive out the militants began in October.

5. At least 20 dead in bomb blast outside Afghan Supreme Court (Reuters) At least 20 people were killed on Tuesday in a bomb blast outside the Supreme Court in the center of Afghanistan's capital, Kabul, government officials said, in what appeared to be the latest in a series of attacks on the judiciary.

Early Bird Brief - Military Times