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
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
Opening Homs-Hama road proving tricky for all sides in Syria Conflicting reports about the opening of the Homs-Hama road have been issued as both the Syrian regime and opposition look to leverage the strategic route. Syria
Can Egypt’s Al-Azhar fight extremism through 'e-fatwas'? Al-Azhar Fatwa Global Center launched a new website to answer questions about fatwas in a bid to fight extremist thought, which analysts believe is a far-fetched goal. Egypt
US faces WWII-scale explosives cleanup in Iraq after Islamic State fight Cleaning up the booby traps that IS fighters have left all over the country will take many years and millions of dollars. Iraq
Congress rejects growing effort to replace 2001 war authorization The US Senate today took up the post-9/11 military mandate for the first time since its enactment 16 years ago. United States
Iran claims it foiled major IS plot ahead of holy month Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps says it has arrested an Islamic State member who was allegedly organizing 300 terrorists in the country for various attacks during the holy month of Muharram. Iran
Saudi-Iranian rapprochement remains mirage Despite talk of an impending rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Iran, facts on the ground suggest that reconciliation is not yet on the horizon. Saudi Arabia
Don’t let Islamic State slip the noose in Syria As Russia beefs up its offensive in Syria, the situation there looks promising, but it’s time for Moscow and Washington to cooperate in a final push to eliminate the Islamic State. Syria
Shiite iconography electrifies Iranians on Syria The beheading of an Iranian fighter on the Syrian frontier is proving to be a watershed moment in the Iranian public’s view of the country’s military intervention in Syria. Syria
Hundreds of Russian children found in Mideast orphanages Children ripped from their homes in Russia and secreted off by relatives said to be fighting for the Islamic State are now turning up abandoned in the Middle East. Iraq
Pro-Iranian Shiite factions lose popular support in Iraq The recent agreement between Hezbollah and a group of pro-Islamic State fighters to arrange their evacuation from the Lebanese-Syrian border to the Syrian-Iraqi border triggered an outburst of public anger against Hezbollah and Iraqi factions fighting alongside Hezbollah on Syrian territory for years. Iraq
How Islamic State is undermining peace prospects in Libya As Libya’s rival parties are moving forward toward a political solution, it seems that the Islamic State and other extremist organizations are re-emerging on the internal scene in a bid to torpedo any such efforts for peace. Libya
