Exclusive Syrian Kurdish officials say 66 Turkish ISIS fighters transferred for relocation to Iraq The detainees were handed over from SDF custody to the US-led coalition for transfer to Iraqi prisons. By Amberin Zaman Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture
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. By Amberin Zaman Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture
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. Syria
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. Syria
Analysis Syria’s Kurdish pullback hands Damascus a win — and new ISIS risks By Cagatay Cebe In Istanbul, reporting on security and counterterrorism
Feature ISIS brides face uncertain future as Damascus clashes with Syria’s Kurds By Amberin Zaman Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture
Analysis Could US shift on Syria’s Kurds unlock progress with Turkey? By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Proposed US sanctions on PMU put Iraq in tough spot Proposed sanctions against factions of the Shiite-dominated Popular Mobilization Units would place the Iraqi government squarely in the middle of a tug of war between Iran and the United States. Iraq
Defeating IS in Yemen While the Islamic State has faced major defeats in Iraq and Syria, the protracted war in Yemen has provided the terrorist group's branch in that country oxygen to breathe. Saudi Arabia
Last IS-held Iraqi town retaken amid car bombs, IEDs Iraqi security forces seized Rawa, the last Islamic State-held town located in Anbar province, after a circuitous and dangerous journey to their destination. Iraq
Putin-Trump statement on Syria contradicts Erdogan’s calculations A joint statement by Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump that there is no military solution in Syria infuriated Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Syria
The road to rebuilding Raqqa The city of Raqqa, newly liberated from the Islamic State by the Kurdish-led and US-supported Syrian Democratic Forces, will now face the challenges of reconstruction and uprooting the jihadi threat once and for all. Iraq
'Terrorist rehab' opens its doors in northern Syria An anti-radicalism center has opened its doors in northern Aleppo and is aimed at rehabilitating young people indoctrinated by extremist groups such as the Islamic State. Syria
Opposition leader implores US not to abandon Syria to Russia and Iran The new leader of the Syrian national coalition shared with Al-Monitor his plans for lobbying the Trump administration during his first visit to Washington. Syria
Kurdish crisis imperils US anti-terror fight in Syria The dispute between Baghdad and Erbil threatens a key border crossing used to resupply US-backed troops battling the Islamic State in Syria. Iraq
Raqqa mothers recount horrors of life under IS as city liberated The thousands of Syrians who fled Raqqa when it fell under the Islamic State’s control have gained an inch of hope to return to their homes after the city was recently liberated. Lebanon
How the Syrian army is working to gain control of road to Raqqa The Syrian regime army took control of Hama’s eastern countryside from the Islamic State, which opened a road toward eastern Syria and areas controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces. Syria
Islamic State sees dollar signs in Egypt As the Islamic State and its affiliates are forced out of Syria and Iraq, their recent bank robbery in North Sinai province indicates they might be turning to targets in Egypt to refill their coffers. Egypt
Egypt prepares for return of IS fighters' children Egypt is preparing to welcome and provide rehabilitation services for 15 Egyptian children who were found in Islamic State camps in Libya. Egypt
