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
Shiite factions close to Sistani move to separate from Iran-backed militias Brigades close to top Shiite cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani announced the formation of a mobilization force affiliated with the chief of staff of the Iraqi armed forces, rather than Iran. Iraq
Islamic State increases attacks in Iraq’s Sunni areas The Islamic State has conducted several attacks in recent weeks on the Sunni-majority provinces of Anbar and Salahuddin. Iraq
Islamic State claims sabotage attack on Egypt’s gas pipeline to Israel Egypt's military said it was a "limited explosion." Egypt
Biden unlikely to turn back in Iraq Former Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel says Biden knows Iraq "as well or better than just about anyone." Iraq
Islamic State claims responsibility for Jeddah attack The explosion at the World War II commemoration follows a stabbing at the French Consulate in Jeddah last month. Saudi Arabia
Indiana woman gets 6 years in prison after smuggling cash for the Islamic State Prosecutors say Samantha Elhassani also brought her two children to live in IS-controlled territory in Syria. Syria
Suspected Islamic State gunmen kill 11 at military post outside Baghdad Initial reports suggest the attack is the largest against Iraqi security forces in months. Iraq
Islamic State regroups in Syrian Kurdish region Islamic State cells carry out assassinations against the SDF in the SDF-controlled countryside of Deir ez-Zor on an almost daily basis, affecting some civilians and tribal leaders close to the SDF. Syria
'How Does a Detonator Work?' Portland man indicted for publishing Islamic State newsletter Hawazen Sameer Mothafar allegedly helped IS with social media and published articles online that encouraged jihadi attacks. Iraq
Netflix to show first movie about Iraq battle against Islamic State in Mosul “Mosul,” an Iraqi film production on one of the stories of the battle to liberate the city, is set to be shown on Netflix this month. Iraq
Islamic State resurfaces with attacks in Iraq’s Diyala province The Islamic State's gruesome killing of a sheikh and some of his relatives by rigging his corpse with explosives has led to security concerns in the multiethnic region bordering Iran, long a hotbed for extremism and susceptible to sectarianism. Iraq
Baghdad, Erbil reach security, administrative agreement on Sinjar district The deal will address major security and structural obstacles, but local communities criticize the accord for failing to bring their people to the table. Iraq
