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
Turkey finally acknowledges soldier executed by IS Almost a year after a burning execution video hit social media, Turkish officials have recognized that one of the victims was a Turkish soldier, but the government remains mum. Turkey
Following Islamic State ouster, tribes key to stability in eastern Syria After the ouster of the Islamic State from the oil-rich Deir ez-Zor province in eastern Syria, several issues are expected to complicate efforts to stabilize the region. Syria
Libyan activists team up with Al-Azhar to tackle extremism A group of Libyan activists are working alongside Egypt’s Al-Azhar to protect religious clerics defending moderate Islam in Libya from extremist attacks. Libya
Raqqa win pulls US deeper into Syria conflict The fall of the Islamic State capital could put the US military on a collision course with Assad. Syria
Iran denies role in recapture of Kirkuk Iranian officials and media throw their support behind the Iraqi government’s operation to retake Kirkuk, but deny that the IRGC played any role. Iraqi-Kurdistan
Saudi Arabia’s call for international coalition against Hezbollah faces obstacles A Saudi politician called for the establishment of an international coalition to confront Lebanon’s Hezbollah, a suggestion that did not garner much support, namely in Europe. Saudi Arabia
Egypt added to Roman Catholic pilgrimage list Egypt's elated tourism officials are ready to roll out the red carpet for Catholics now that the country has Pope Francis' blessing as a pilgrimage destination. Egypt
PMU spearheads Hawija battle, as IS fighters 'vanish' A long-besieged pocket of Islamic State-held territory and surrounding villages in north-central Iraq have been retaken by a mixture of local Sunni and non-local Shiite-led Popular Mobilization Units, alongside Defense and Interior Ministry forces. Iraq
US Air Force ‘stretched’ by Islamic State fight in Iraq, Syria Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson said the service suffers from a lack of planes and pilots as well as ongoing budgetary uncertainty as it flies an increased number of missions against the Islamic State. Iraq
Thousands turn out in Iran for burial of soldier beheaded by IS An Iranian soldier who was killed in Syria in August received a large public funeral in Iran. Iran
Soccer returns to Mosul after three-year ban After three years of being banned by the Islamic State, soccer returns to the city of Mosul, yet facilities remain in dire need of repair. Iraq
Anbar op aims to restore Iraqi-Syrian border Iraqi security forces launched an offensive in Anbar province in early September to cleanse the key Islamic State-held town of Qaim on the Syrian border. Iraq
