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
Coalition withdrawal from base near Baghdad worries locals The recent pullout of international coalition personnel from Camp Taji, the first airstrike in years in an area close to the capital, and continued targeting of facilities keep tensions high as the drawdown continues. Iraq
American who joined IS pleads guilty to terrorism charge Omer Kuzu faces up to 20 years in federal prison. Syria
US vetoes UN resolution on foreign terrorists, citing lack of repatriation language The United States said the Security Council resolution did not mention the need to send Islamic fighters to their home countries. US-backed forces detain thousands of them in Syria. Originals
Intel: US plans to reduce troops in Iraq The Pentagon plans to reduce its current troop presence in Iraq by about one-third as President Donald Trump heads for November's vote on his reelection amid a campaign promise to end US military involvement in conflicts abroad. Iraq
Trump talks Israel-UAE deal, Biden’s Middle East record at last night of Republican convention The president slammed his Democratic rival for voting for the 2003 Iraq war, but there's no record Trump opposed the invasion at the time. United States
French armed forces minister visits Iraq following turnover of US base French Defense Minister Florence Parly's visit coincides with discussions between Iraq and the United States on the future of American troops in the country; France is a part of the US-led anti-IS coalition in Iraq. Iraq
UN convoy hit by explosion in northern Iraq The convoy was being operated by the World Food Program. Iraq
Islamic State operative planning 'sensational' attack nabbed in Istanbul Ankara has arrested a man suspected of planning “a sensational attack” in Istanbul and six others in raids that point to a festering Islamic State problem in Turkey. Turkey
Nikki Haley praises Trump on Iran, Israel at Republican convention Former UN ambassador Nikki Haley said that Democratic nominee Joe Biden would be good for Iran and the Islamic State. Originals
US-led coalition hands Camp Taji to Iraq's security forces Taji is the eighth and most expensive facility to be turned over fully to Baghdad's forces Iraq
US envoy says Islamic State likely behind Syria pipeline blast James Jeffrey said the explosion at a major gas pipeline on the outskirts of Damascus was "almost certainly a strike" by the Islamic State. Syria
Russian major general killed in roadside bomb in Syria’s Deir ez-Zor Maj. Gen. Vyacheslav Gladkikh is the first Russian general reported killed in Syria since 2017. Syria
