US strike in Syria kills al-Qaeda-linked planner, hints at changing militant networks Members of Syria’s al-Qaeda branch, Huras ad-Din, have been joining Ansar al-Islam as US drone strikes have continued to pick off Huras ad-Din's leaders, a report to the UN Security Council noted in July. Syria
US troop drawdown in Syria on hold over regime stability concerns While American troops in Iraq hand over operations against the Islamic State to Baghdad's forces, the parallel drawdown in neighboring Syria has been halted amid concerns about the abilities of the new Islamist-led government in Damascus. By Jared Szuba In Washington, DC, reporting on defense, national security, military
US troops in Iraq shift to Erbil to focus on ISIS in Syria The US mission against the Islamic State is relocating its headquarters and most of its troops from Baghdad to Erbil as the prime minister's coalition faces reelection in November. Iraq
Pentagon pushes to accelerate ISIS detainee repatriations from Syria Uncertainty about Syria’s long-term stability and the the US military’s future presence in the country have increased urgency among some Pentagon officials to further reduce the population of nearly 30,000 suspected ISIS-associated detainees in the camps. Syria
UK appeals court says woman in Syria unlawfully stripped of citizenship The woman, who is living in the Al-Roj camp in northeast Syria, had sought repatriation to the United Kingdom. Syria
Syria’s Kurdish-led forces regain control of Islamic State prison Some two dozen hostages were freed and more than a thousand IS detainees surrendered after a six-day firefight that left at least 200 dead. Syria
Islamic State prison break reinforces value of US military protection for Syria's Kurds ‘Cubs of Caliphate’ are among 700 boys held in Islamic State prison, as Syrian Kurdish forces keep up the battle to retake control Syria
Islamic State escalates violence across Baghdad Belt Terrorist attacks increase as Iraq continues government formation process. Iraq
Iraqi army boots PKK-linked leader’s statue from Sinjar, arrests fighters The Iraqi army has arrested several fighters from a PKK-linked Yazidi faction operating in Sinjar as part of an attempt to get them to abide by an accord signed in 2020 for greater stability and security. Iraq
Islamic State stages Syria prison break, kills 11 soldiers in Iraq The Islamic State attacked an Iraqi army barracks and a prison holding jihadists in Kurdish-run northeast Syria overnight. Iraq
Islamic State attempts prison break in Syria's Hasakah, SDF says A spokesperson for the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces said Islamic State militants set off a car bomb and clashed with security forces. Syria
Strikes on Baghdad Belt IS cells overshadowed by militia attacks Recent airstrikes on areas close to the Iraqi capital as well as the killing of Islamic State fighters there have received scant attention as Iran-linked groups continue to carry out persistent attacks. Iraq
Syrian government steps up attack against Islamist enclave The Syrian military is taking more aggressive military action against Hayat Tahrir al-Sham in Idlib. Syria
Syrian Kurdish forces require displaced Arabs to obtain 'expat card' to remain in their areas The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) is requiring Arabs displaced from all Syrian regions who are living in the areas under their control to obtain an expatriate card to be allowed to enter or remain. Syria
Babil massacre increases demand to reform Iraqi security forces Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi refers to the "heartbreaking massacre" and reinforces his commitment to security reform after 20 family members are killed based on specious charges. Iraq
Islamic State ramps up activities in eastern Syria Islamic State is applying Sharia rules in the eastern countryside of Deir ez-Zor and imposing taxes on residents by force of arms. Syria
