Turkey detains 11 over ISIS-linked attack on Israeli Consulate: What to know The attack was likely designed to portray Turkey as protecting Israel by targeting the local police guarding the consulate, one observer notes. Turkey
Desperate to sell its oil, Iraq turns to Turkey amid standoff with Kurds As Iraq looks to reroute oil to Turkey, Baghdad is also using the plan to push the Iraqi Kurds to greenlight exports through their territory. Iraq
Turkey to repatriate its ISIS fighters from Iraq as jihadis escalate Syria attacks Ankara will repatriate its nationals from among thousands of fighters transferred from Syria, Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein said. Turkey
US military completes evacuation of ISIS prisoners from Syria to Iraq The detainee transfer opens the door for US troops to further withdraw from Syria ahead of a potential military confrontation with Iran. Syria
Exclusive Syrian Kurdish officials say 66 Turkish ISIS fighters transferred for relocation to Iraq By Amberin Zaman Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture
Feature Syrian Kurds say US ignored pleas for help as ISIS detainees turned on them in al-Hol By Amberin Zaman Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture
Jihadis from Syria blamed for multiple attacks on Iraqi Kurds An onslaught of attacks on Kurdish peshmerga forces and villages in northern Iraq has sparked concerns over the presence of Islamic State cells and whether they have been bulked up by jihadis arriving from Syria. Iraq
Iraqi prime minister visits site of Islamic State attack Mustafa al-Kadhimi met with Kurdistan Region security forces in disputed Makhmour. News Brief
Turkey strikes Yazidi militia in Iraq The Sinjar Resistance Units is a member of the Popular Mobilization Units, making it officially part of the Iraqi security forces. Iraq
Islamic State targets peshmerga in Iraq’s disputed Diyala and Makhmour A recent string of attacks on Iraq’s Kurdistan Region peshmerga forces have raised concern over how effective long-discussed coordination with the central government is in the country’s flashpoint disputed territories. Iraq
Islamic State down but not out in Syria and Iraq: Pentagon report Also, Al-Monitor’s on-the-ground reporting on the security situations in Syria and Iraq, including the impact of the Turkish lira crisis on Idlib. Syria
Iraq diversifies arms imports after US withdrawal from Afghanistan The US withdrawal may have spurred Iraq to consider purchases from Turkey and Pakistan, according to report by the Pentagon's Inspector General. News Brief
Intel: Pentagon chief briefed on 2019 Syria airstrike US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered the briefing after reading an investigation into the strike by The New York Times. Syria
Attack on Syrian prison holding Iraqi Islamic State captives raises concerns Local forces backed by coalition air support reportedly prevented an attack on a prison housing thousands of Islamic State operatives in northeastern Syria under Kurdish-led administration. Iraq
Islamic State attack sparks sectarian bloodletting in Iraq’s Diyala An Islamic State attack has triggered a crescendo of acts of violence against and displacement of Sunnis in Iraq’s Diyala province, which borders Iran and has long suffered the presence of cells operating in its dense orchards and parts of the Hamrin Mountains. Iraq
Iraq arrests alleged Islamic State fighters after deadly attack The Islamic State killed two Kurdistan Region soldiers and 12 civilians in recent attacks in northern Iraq. News Brief
Germany sentences Islamic State woman to jail over Yazidi child's death The Munich court found Jennifer Wenisch, a German national, guilty of “two crimes against humanity in the form of enslavement." Iraq
Iraq captures ‘Most Wanted’ Islamic State finance chief Iraqi intelligence have captured a top-level IS leader in a special operation that involved coordination with foreign countries. The US had offered $5 million for information that “brings him to justice”. Iraq
