Turkish military forces lay siege to Afrin

Under the cover of heavy artillery and airstrikes, Turkish military forces have advanced to the outer reaches of Afrin. As of now, the central city is under siege and the outlying villages have been decimated by the shelling. Street fighting is still going on though and the Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces are not yielding under […]

ISIS militants ambush Peshmerga during failed sheep heist

In the village of Kifri, just southeast of Erbil, members of the Islamic State attempted to kidnap a local shepherd and his flock of sheep on Friday afternoon. Local Kurdish security forces responded and a firefight ensued. The attack happened around 1500 and was committed by 8 military age males. Attacks and kidnappings like this are […]

Car bomb in Kurdistan severely injures 2 Peshmerga

A bomb exploded in Erbil, Kurdistan yesterday around 4:00 pm local time in what appears to be a targeted attack. The bomb was placed under the chassis of a car belonging to two Peshmerga from PDKI (Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan) and was detonated remotely. The Peshmerga injured were a father and son and remain […]

Afghan Special Forces Capture German Taliban in Helmand

Afghan Special Forces reported that they’ve captured a German national in southern Helmand province who has been an eight-year advisor to the Taliban. The German man was captured along with three other militants in a government raid on a bomb-making site in Gereshk district. His identity is unclear. Officials say he speaks German and says […]

Kurdistan flight ban gets extended

An international flight ban (local flights are unaffected) in Kurdistan was put in place by the Iraqi government shortly after the Kurdish referendum vote for independence. The Iraqi government backed proxy forces of Hasdt al-Shaabi and the Iranian PMU militias had just taken control of Kirkuk as well. In a way, the airport ban was […]

US Must Counter Russia, China in Middle East After Defeat of ISIS

With the defeat of Islamic State, both Russia and China are attempting to grow their influence across the Middle East, adding to the growing concerns for the United States, the commanding general of Central Command said on Tuesday. Gen. Joseph Votel, head of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), described an array of steps those “great power” […]

United States releases Peshmerga salaries to the KRG

According to the Kurdish Regional government’s Secretary General of the Ministry of Peshmerga, Jabar Yawar, the United States has begun paying the Peshmerga’s monthly salaries with an allocated fund of $365 million. Yawar told local media during a press release, “This year, the US will assist the Peshmerga with $365 million contribution. It’s expected these funds […]

Assad regime forces enter Afrin to aid Kurdish SDF

Pro Syrian Regime forces entered the city of Afrin last week under the request of the SDF (Syrian Defense Forces) and YPG to help them fight the Turkish armed forces at their doorstep. Over the course of a week 3 convoys packed with fighters and weapons have arrived in the city. The fighters will be […]

US Disputes Russian Numbers of ISIS Fighters in Afghanistan

The United States military in Afghanistan has disputed Moscow’s claim the number of Islamic State militants in the country runs into the thousands, and urged Russia and Iran to support the Kabul government, not the Taliban, to help defeat IS in the country. Commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan General John Nicholson made the remark […]