Islamic State

Members of Syrian security forces at the entrance of the al-Hol camp in the desert region of Hasakah province which holds around 24,000 people, including some 6,200 women and children from around 40 nationalities on Jan. 21, 2026 in Al Hasakah, Syria.

Feature

Syrian Kurds say US ignored pleas for help as ISIS detainees turned on them in al-Hol

Chaos at al-Hol during clashes between Kurdish forces and Damascus underscored the widening security vacuum amid Kurdish claims of US abandonment.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

In this handout photo in an undisclosed location, US Airmen prepare to load GBU-31 munition systems onto F-15E Strike Eagles within the US Central Command area of responsibility, Dec. 18, in support of Operation Hawkeye Strike.

US launches 5 airstrikes in Syria on suspected ISIS sites: What to know

A series of five airstrikes over the past week in Syria comes as the US military increasingly relies on Damascus' forces to contain Islamic State remnants.

Syrian Democratic Forces fighters stand on a pick-up truck to provide security during an inspection of SDF positions on the Tell Brak frontline in Syria on Jan. 26, 2026.

France's role in Syria-SDF agreement: What to know

French diplomatic sources highlight the role played by Paris in recent months in reaching an agreement between the Sharaa government and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces.

Syrian government troops patrol the streets of Tabqa, in Raqqa province, on the southwestern banks of the Euphrates, Jan. 18, 2026.

Analysis

Syria’s Kurdish pullback hands Damascus a win — and new ISIS risks

Cooperation with the United States in the battle against ISIS could prove both a blessing and a curse for the Syrian government.

Cagatay Cebe

By Cagatay Cebe

In Istanbul, reporting on security and counterterrorism

Latest News

Feature

ISIS brides face uncertain future as Damascus clashes with Syria’s Kurds

Roj Camp

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

Analysis

Could US shift on Syria’s Kurds unlock progress with Turkey?

Syrian government forces ride on the roof of a vehicle as they deploy after crossing the Euphrates River in the province of Deir Ezzor, eastern Syria, on Jan. 19, 2026.

Ezgi Akin

In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO

Iraq to prosecute ISIS detainees transferred from Syria: What to know

Children and women, relatives of suspected Islamic State jihadists, walk inside al-Hol camp in the desert region of Syria's northeastern Hasakah province, on Jan. 21, 2026.

US military airlifts Syria ISIS prisoners to Iraq after SDF retreat: What to know

RAQQA, SYRIA - JANUARY 19: Syrian government forces are deployed near Al-Aqtan prison on January 19, 2026 in Raqqa, Syria. Yesterday, the Syrian government announced that a nationwide ceasefire deal had been reached with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), who had been clashing with government forces in recent weeks. The Kurdish-led force, a long-time ally of the United States in the fight against ISIS, had controlled large swaths of northwest Syria during the years of the country's civil war. T

Jared Szuba

In Washington, DC, reporting on defense, national security, military

IS militants continue to sneak into Turkey despite measures

Turkish officials claim they are waging an exemplary struggle against the Islamic State (IS), but their struggle appears ridden with black holes as IS militants are able to sneak into Turkey aided by smugglers, and IS suspects often receive a more lenient treatment than other prisoners.

Iraqis divided over continued presence of American forces

As Islamic State militias have become active again in different areas of Iraq, the debate over ejecting US forces is on the rise among Iraqi politicians.

Idlib’s rebels on alert against infiltration by Islamic State

The armed groups controlling Idlib remain wary of the prospect of Islamic State militants sneaking into the region, following reports that IS members are seeking safe passage to the province.

Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) celebrate the first anniversary of Raqqa province liberation from ISIS, in Raqqa, Syria Ocotber 27, 2018. REUTERS/Aboud Hamam - RC1BDC1D4780

UAE steps up anti-Turkey efforts in Syria

The United Arab Emirates engages Turkey in a war of words and deeds over Ankara's fight with Kurds in Syria.

United Arab Emirates

IS targets truffle hunters across Sunni regions

Many civilians and local security forces have been kidnapped or killed in recent weeks while looking for white truffles, mostly in desert and mountainous areas of Sunni-dominant provinces.

Iraq bulks up border presence as IS escapees try to enter

Iraqi forces have sent reinforcements to the border area and are engaging in nightly artillery strikes on IS positions in eastern Syria ahead of an expected US pullout in the near future.

A picture taken on March 22, 2016 shows vehicles waiting near the Tunisian customs post at the Ras Jedir border crossing with Libya, south of the town of Ben Guerdane, after it was reopened after a two-week closure in response to a deadly jihadist attack on a town near the frontier.
Both the Ras Jedir crossing on the Mediterranean coast and the Dehiba crossing in the mountainous desert interior reopened at 0600 GMT, ministry spokesman Yasser Mesbah said.Tunisia closed the two crossings on March 7 when doze

What fate awaits Tunisia's returning jihadis?

As one of the top countries of origin for foreign IS recruits, Tunisia has struggled to address domestic threats of returning jihadis and how to de-radicalize these youths.

U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks to foreign ministers from the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS at the State Department in Washington, U.S., February 6, 2019. REUTERS/Leah Millis - RC1528E7D100

Trump, touting gains over IS, focuses on Syria exit

Speaking to diplomats attending a ministerial meeting of the 79-member Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS today, President Trump said a formal announcement would come next week that 100% of the terror group's territory had been liberated.

Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) and his Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan speak during a ceremony to mark the completion of the sea part of the TurkStream gas pipeline, in Istanbul, Turkey November 19, 2018. Sputnik/Mikhail Klimentyev/Kremlin via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. - RC12DCA255B0

Erdogan seeks lifeline from Putin in Syria

The Turkish president will discuss Syria with his Russian counterpart in Moscow this coming week, as Qatar's Sheikh Tamim takes spotlight in Beirut.

France weighs its Syria presence, cooperation with Russia

As the United States leaves Syria, France seeks an appropriate balance between its own military presence, relations with Russia and maneuvering between Turkey and the Kurds.

U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo attend the Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons annual meeting at the White House in Washington, U.S., October 11, 2018. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst - RC112D918F90

Rival fiefdoms emerge in scramble over Trump's Syria withdrawal

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and national security adviser John Bolton have offered different messages about President Donald Trump’s intentions for a Syria withdrawal.

Can Museum of Raqqa's glory be restored?

The Raqqa Civil Council and a local organization have begun restoring the Museum of Raqqa, but it is unclear whether it can reassemble the treasures removed from it during the occupations by Islamic State and the Free Syrian Army.