60 days of the Iran war — 6 conflicts you didn’t see

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In the 60 days since the Iran war began, ACLED records at least 3,070 United States and Israeli strikes across the country, mostly affecting Tehran, Isfahan, and Hormozgan provinces. Violence linked to the war has spread across the region since 28 February, with at least 1,596 Iranian retaliatory strikes across the Middle East.

But while global attention has remained fixed on Iran, it has not been the only story unfolding. Across multiple regions, violence has escalated, protests have returned, and instability has deepened, often with far less visibility. These are six conflicts and crises that continued to evolve over the same 60-day period.

Nigeria: Insurgents kill at least four top-ranking military commanders

Ladd Serwat, ACLED's Africa Senior Analyst

On 9 April, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) insurgents killed Brigadier General Oseni Braimah during coordinated attacks in and around Benisheikh, Borno state — one of at least four senior Nigerian officers killed in the conflict so far in 2026. The clashes also reportedly left at least 18 soldiers dead, alongside members of the Civilian Joint Task Force.

The death of Braimah underscores a growing shift in insurgent tactics toward increasingly bold and targeted assaults on military leadership, camps, bases, and infrastructure. This escalation in violence began in late 2025, as Boko Haram intensified attacks on military positions and ISWAP launched its so-called “burning of the camps” campaign. By March 2026, ACLED records show insurgent violence involving Boko Haram and ISWAP had reached its highest level of monthly events since the insurgency began in 2009.

The trend points to mounting pressure on Nigerian forces, which are struggling to contain a rising tempo of coordinated assaults on military positions, risking further losses among senior military personnel. The escalation will likely continue until late May or June, when seasonal rains that last until September tend to limit the mobility of armed groups. 

Myanmar: Coup leader becomes president as airstrike deaths surge

Su Mon, ACLED's Asia-Pacific Senior Analyst

Myanmar’s coup leader, Min Aung Hlaing, was installed as president in early April, maintaining his hold on power after stepping down as commander-in-chief; Min Aung Hlaing handed over his role to a close ally. The move further consolidates military control and points to a possible shift toward more intelligence-led operations alongside conventional force.

But the reshuffle does not signal any change in approach. The military continues to rely heavily on airstrikes and ground offensives to pressure resistance groups, even as it attempts to stabilize territory and push for ceasefires on its own terms. In March, more than 450 people were killed in air and drone strikes — the highest monthly death toll since the resistance to the 2021 coup began — despite overall strike levels remaining broadly consistent.

Both civilians and resistance groups remain subject toremain sustained attacks, underscoring the continued intensity of the conflict.

Ecuador: The US said it helped bomb a drug camp. It was a dairy farm.

Tiziano Breda, ACLED's Latin America & the Caribbean Senior Analyst

In Ecuador, a joint strike between Ecuadorian and US forces in early March,  initially presented as a hit on a “narco-terrorist” training camp near the border with Colombia, has since been called into question. Reports suggest the target may have been a civilian dairy farm. The incident comes as Ecuador rapidly escalates its militarized response to organized crime, with growing US support in its fight against powerful drug trafficking networks. President Daniel Noboa has also used the security crisis to trigger an ever more tense diplomatic spat and trade war with neighboring Colombia.

While the fallout from the strike is still unfolding, it highlights the risks of this approach. Framing criminal groups as “narco-terrorists” is expanding the use of military force, but also raising the stakes when operations go wrong, with potential consequences for civilian safety, public trust, and the trajectory of an already intensifying internal conflict.

Ethiopia: Tensions between the TPLF and the federal government risk escalation 

Jalale Getachew Birru, ACLED's East Africa Senior Analyst

On 19 April, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) reinstated the regional government elected in 2020 that led the region during the two-year war. This came after the TPLF opposed the federal government’s decision to extend the term of the interim administration by one year on 8 April. The TPLF claimed the federal government made the decision to extend without their proper consultation.

Before the TPLF reinstated the 2020 government, it pressured Interim President Tadesse Wered to decline the term extension in an attempt to consolidate power. However, Tadese resisted these demands, choosing instead to maintain his current position. The fact that Tadese — a key military figure during the northern Ethiopia conflict and currently the head of the Tigray Defense Forces — is refusing to obey the party hardliners is a massive shift in TPLF dynamics.

The TPLF’s decision officially rejects the Pretoria agreement that ended the two-year war. The ongoing tension between the TPLF and the federal government represents a familiar pattern of cyclical escalation that preceded the previous outbreak of the northern Ethiopia conflict in November 2020.

Pakistan: Fighting persists at the border with Afghanistan and Balochistan province

Pearl Pandya, ACLED's South Asia Senior Analyst

The conflict between Afghanistan and Pakistan entered its second month, as a temporary ceasefire announced over Eid lapsed. In early April, the two countries held preliminary talks in China, where they agreed to continue discussions toward a comprehensive agreement. Fighting has since significantly reduced, and is largely restricted to the border regions. Ripple effects beyond the battlefield continue to unfold: Pakistan has reportedly accelerated the deportation of undocumented Afghan nationals in recent weeks, adding to the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.

The outbreak of the latest war between Iran and the US and Israel also opened up new security concerns in the restive Balochistan province. Separatist violence in March reached its highest level in recent years, driven by an increase in smaller-scale attacks, including hit-and-run attacks on security posts and ambushes on army convoys, rather than any single high-profile incident. The surge may be a sign of militants seeking to exploit increased international attention on this region to draw focus on their long-running insurgency. Separatist militants operate on both sides of the border, and instability in Iran could facilitate militant movement and arms smuggling into Pakistan.

Philippines: Clan violence surges in Mindanao as tensions rise again

Tomas Buenaventura, ACLED's Philippines Senior Research Assistant

In the Philippines, violence surged in early March as long-running clan feuds — known as rido — escalated into deadly clashes in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. Rival militias and factions linked to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front fought for days, leaving civilians dead and displacing thousands, making it the most violent month for this type of conflict since 2018.

Since then, the fighting has eased, but the drivers of the violence remain: political rivalries, unresolved clan tensions, and armed groups that haven’t fully disarmed. The repeated delays to long-promised regional elections — now pushed to September 2026 — mean the peace process is effectively on hold, and the risk of renewed clashes still hangs over the region.