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
In shadow of COVID-19, US-led battle against Islamic State continues A Pentagon report declares the Islamic State a "low-level insurgency" as the United States and Iraq prepare for strategic dialogue. Iraq
Islamic State believed behind crop fires in Iraq's disputed territories The Islamic State is suspected of once again setting fire to farmland in the disputed Iraqi-Kurdish territories. Iraq
Intel: US sanctions squeezing Iranian forces in Syria, says US envoy Cash-strapped Iran is reining in some of its forces in Syria as a result of American sanctions, US envoy James Jeffrey said today. Syria
Intel: Iraq’s Peshmerga Ministry pushes for joint security talks with Baghdad The Peshmerga Ministry of Iraq’s Kurdistan Region said it will send a delegation to Baghdad to discuss security cooperation and the situation in the disputed territories. Iraq
Press freedom watchdog criticizes suspension of Kurdish reporter in northeast Syria Rudaw's Vivian Fatah was suspended because she did not describe Kurdish fighters who had been killed in Syria as martyrs. Iraq
Iraqi-Syrian desert border area key amid geopolitical tensions Recent security incidents indicate that the Islamic State continues to operate in the Iraqi-Syrian border area despite reduced capabilities. Iraq
Pentagon waiting out coronavirus to invite allies back to Iraq The US commander of Operation Inherent Resolve hopes allied forces will return to Iraq once the COVID-19 crisis subsides. Iraq
Civilian killings in Syria are a ‘ticking time bomb,’ UN commissioner says UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet warned of a "ticking time bomb" in Syria amid an uptick of civilian attacks and human rights violations. Syria
Kurdish and coalition forces target Islamic State in eastern Syria The operation comes at a time of recent IS attacks in Syria and Iraq. Iraq
Islamic State prison riot underscores fragile security in northeast Syria The issue of what to do with Islamic State prisoners in northeast Syria continues to be a nagging problem. Syria
Egypt says IS militants killed in Sinai following attack Egypt said Sunday that it killed the IS militants in a gunfight in Sinai following an IS-claimed attack there last week. Egypt
Islamic State carries out attacks across Iraq, including near Baghdad The Islamic State hits Iraqi security forces across the country May 2 and 3, including ones relatively close to the capital. Iraq
