Syria church bombing raises fears ISIS will exploit Iran-Israel war to gain ground As the Iran-Israel war draws in global powers, security vacuums in Syria may be allowing ISIS to reemerge. Syria
Analysis With latest video, Yemen's AQAP seeks relevance, taps into regional outrage The first video address by Yemeni al-Qaeda leader Saad al-Awlaki follows a decline in clashes between the group and the Iran-backed Houthis in what one expert dubbed a "collaborative arrangement." By Adam Lucente In New York City, reporting on regional news, militancy, climate change
Turkey detains dozens of ISIS suspects in raids tied to Syria-based network A nationwide sweep targeted the group's financial and propaganda networks as Ankara steps up efforts to counter the jihadi extremist group in Syria. Turkey
Iran executes 9 'ISIS militants' amid surge in jihadist extremism: What to know While Iran has long claimed full eradication of the Islamic State through a campaign waged by late general Qasem Soleimani, the country has been grappling with a deadly resurgence of the militant group in recent years. Iran
Interview US believes Syria’s Sharaa at risk of assassination, Trump envoy says Tom Barrack US special envoy for Syria
US Syria envoy Barrack says troop drawdown to continue, support for Kurds to remain By Jared Szuba In Washington, DC, reporting on defense, national security, military
Counter-IS officials temper Trump’s rush to pull out of Syria US officials guiding the fight in Syria warned of a long struggle ahead to defeat the Islamic State. Iraq
Yazidis in Iraq's Sinjar brace for possible Turkish attack The Yazidi community, which only recently faced Islamic State attacks, is now getting ready for a Turkish military operation in Sinjar announced by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Iraq
Iran says IS resurgence could hamper oil deal with Iraq An Iranian official warns that numerous attacks in Iraq have created security concerns that are preventing the countries from completing their oil deal, but some Iraqis think the Kurdistan Regional Government has engineered the situation because it no longer controls the oil. Iraq
Death sentences cool warming Iraq-Turkey ties Death sentences imposed by an Iraqi court on Turkish women affiliated with the Islamic State has put Turkey in a difficult spot with its stance on terrorism and puts a brake on what appeared to be improving relations with Baghdad. Iraq
Iraq orders execution of foreign women for IS involvement Iraq is issuing death penalty and life sentences against foreign women found guilty of involvement with the Islamic State — and hundreds await trials. Iraq
Tribal laws determine fate of IS families in Iraq The war has come to an end in Iraq’s western and northern areas, occupied by the Islamic State in 2014, but another battle has broken out between IS families and tribes whose members were killed by the group during its control of Ramadi and Mosul. Iraq
Kirkuk not as liberated from IS as claimed Because of the crisis between Erbil and Baghdad over Kurdish independence, increased attacks by the Islamic State in the Kirkuk province have gone generally unnoticed by the government. Iraq
Questions linger on airstrike that killed local police in Iraq's Anbar Truth urged on airstrike that killed Iraqi police officers and injured the mayor in Anbar province. Iraq
Pentagon stops budgeting for peshmerga salaries The Pentagon’s fiscal year 2019 budget doesn’t specifically dedicate payments for Iraq’s Kurdish fighting force after it stepped back from the front lines of the fight against the Islamic State. Iraq
Iranian film on Tehran's role in Syria war creates controversy The first Iranian film depicting Tehran’s fight against Islamic State terrorists divides observers into two camps: those who think it is a great film by a great director and those who think it is just a cliche. Iran
Egypt steps up military operations in Sinai ahead of elections The timing of an anti-terror military operation launched in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula has raised questions about President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s motives ahead of the presidential elections scheduled for March. Egypt
Hamas enters new phase of confrontation with Islamic State Hamas in the Gaza Strip broadcast a video where two Islamic State members confessed to working for IS, which reveals a new phase in the relationship between the two groups. Palestine
