Syrian Democratic Forces offer Druze villagers assistance in the face of Islamic State attack

As a prominent Druze spiritual leader, Hikmat Salman al-Hijri expressed his gratitude towards the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) for offering an exchange of SDF-held Islamic State prisoners for ISIS-held Druze hostages. The Druze are an ethnoreligious group that resides primarily in Syria; their faith is centered on the teachings of Greek philosophers paired with Islamic teachings of […]

Kurdistan’s prime minister meets with incoming Dutch consul general

The Kurdistan Regional Government’s Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani met with future Dutch Consul General Willem Cosijn this week. The two political figureheads discussed the future of their nations’ relationship; they also focused heavily on improving the region’s agricultural sector according to Kurdish media outlets. Barzani had previously met with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte in June at the Hague where […]

The dangers of an Islamic State resurgence in Iraq and Kurdistan

Just last week, Islamic State gunmen executed 20 Iraqi’s belonging to the Shamari tribe in the town of Baaj. The Islamic State is far from finished in the region and pockets of resistance exist within Iraq as small sleeper cells that are striking terror into civilians and security forces alike. Iraqi officials have warned the local […]

Turkey intends to reopen consulates in Iraqi-Kurdistan

On Friday last week, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan claimed that his nation planned to reopen their consulates located in two of Iraq’s largest cities. The Mosul and Basra consulates have had their doors shut for quite some time now (approximately four years) but the move by Turkey may be in an effort to strengthen trade […]

Islamic State mullah confesses to orchestrating last month’s terror attack in Erbil

It has been discovered that an Islamic mullah who had sworn allegiance to the Islamic State in 2014 was, to some extent, behind the attack on the Kurdistan Regional Government’s headquarters in Erbil last month. The recording of Mullah Ismail Susayi confessing to his Islamic State connections was provided by the Kurdistan Region Security Council (KRSC) […]

A growing number of villages in Kirkuk, Iraq are being evacuated

Since Kirkuk was turned over to Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) and paramilitary militias in October 2017, a total of 30 villages in the region have been evacuated; either because of the threat of Islamic State insurgents or anti-Kurdish sentiments. The mayor of Dibis, a territory within the Kirkuk region, Abdullah Nuradin told local media that, There are […]

Suicide bombing kills 14 in Afghan airport

Reports are coming in regarding another suicide bombing in Kabul, Afghanistan, this time killing 14 military and civilian bystanders, and wounding approximately another 50 more. This occurred just as Gen. Abdul Rashid Dostum, Afghanistan’s First Vice President, was returning from Turkey. He was unharmed. Reports on the attack are still coming in — as details […]

Kurdish Peshmerga and Iraqi Army destroy the Islamic State in Makhmour operation

Islamic State occupied territory near Makhmour, a region that shares a border with Iraq and Kurdistan, was cleared out earlier this week by Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) and Kurdish Peshmerga working unilaterally with coalition air support. Operation Inherent Resolve coalition spokesperson Colonel Sean Ryan expressed great delight at the achievement, given the circumstances. The cooperation between the […]

Islamic State suicide bomber kills Taliban commander

A suicide bomber from the Islamic State (IS, otherwise known as ISIS-K) detonated themselves in Afghanistan, somewhere to the north, according to officials who spoke to the Associated Press. 20 people were killed and among the dead lay a Taliban commander who has not yet been named. Around the same time, a “government commando unit” […]

The UN remembers Iraq and acknowledges its reconstruction needs

In a press conference on Thursday, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres responded to reporters demands to know more of the U.N.’s plans for the Middle East. Secretary-General Guterres answered by saying, I have not forgotten Iraq. The stability of Iraq, the democratic nature of Iraq, the non-sectarian nature of Iraq is, I think, a fundamental contribution for the whole […]

Death toll in Pakistan suicide bombing rises to 132

Mastung, Balochistan, Pakistan — Yet another explosion from a suicide bomber tore through Pakistan on Friday, killing scores of local Pakistanis. The death toll has currently risen to 132, a devastating blow to the entire country. Over 300 people are reported to have been injured. The attack occurred at a Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) rally […]