Attack west of Baghdad kills 14, wounds 32

Iraqi officials say a suicide bomber targeting a Sunni mosque west of Baghdad killed 14 and wounded 32 Monday night. The attack struck an Abu Ghraib mosque as worshippers gathered to pray after breaking their fast during the holy month of Ramadan. Police and hospital officials confirmed the tolls and spoke on condition of anonymity […]

The Iraqis’ win over ISIS in Fallujah was considerably easier than expected

The American-backed Iraqi effort to oust Islamic State militants from their stronghold in Fallujah turned out to be far easier than many U.S. officials initially feared. “Once they got through the hard-candy shell and into the chewy center, things went much more quickly,” Pentagon spokesman Jeff Davis said Monday. “It was really a heavy fight along […]

New Contributing Editor joins SOFREP

I look forward to my role as a contributing editor for SOFREP and welcome your suggestions and observations on my reporting, analysis, and commentary.

Iraqi commander: Fallujah ‘fully liberated’ from ISIS

A senior Iraqi commander declared that the city of Fallujah was “fully liberated” from Islamic State group militants on Sunday, after a more than monthlong military operation. Iraqi troops have entered the northwestern al-Julan neighborhood, the last area of Fallujah to remain under IS control, the head of the counterterrorism forces in the operation, Lt. Gen. Abdul-Wahab al-Saadi, told […]

US-led coalition: Only a third of Fallujah cleared of Islamic State

Only a third of Fallujah has been “cleared” of the Islamic State, the U.S.-led coalition said Tuesday. The announcement comes days after the Iraqi government declared victory in the besieged city. Other parts of the city are “contested,” said U.S. Army Col. Christopher Garver, the Baghdad-based spokesman for the coalition, with clashes underway between Iraqi security […]

As the nation debates the place of Islam, the CIA’s Muslim officers fight terrorism

Shortly after supporters of the Islamic State gunned down 14 people in California last year, the CIA’s deputy director assembled a group of Muslim employees to talk about Islamophobia. The Dec. 2 shootings by Syed Rizwan Farook and Tashfeen Malik had illustrated the United States’ vulnerability to terrorist attacks inspired by the Islamic State and […]

Iraqi Camps Swell As Civilians Flee Fighting In Fallujah

Iraqi government-run camps struggled on Sunday to shelter people fleeing Fallujah, as the military battled Islamic State militants in the city’s northern districts. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi declared victory over the jihadists on Friday after troops reached the city center, following a four-week U.S.-backed assault. But shooting, suicide bombs and mortar attacks continue. More than […]

Islamic State suffers setbacks in Iraq, Syria

Islamic State militants struggled to hold ground on two fronts Sunday as Iraqi troops drove out pockets of resistance in Fallujah, while Syrian government forces pressed closer to the effective militant capital of Raqqa. The military gains, however, have done little to improve the dire humanitarian crisis facing the region. In Iraq, the Amiriyah Fallujah […]

Inside Fallujah, Iraqi forces dodge snipers and car bombs in final fight for the city

FALLUJAH, Iraq — The sound of gunfire and explosions echoed through Fallujah’s streets Saturday as security forces battled to oust the remaining militants a day after Iraq declared victory over the Islamic State in the city. Iraqi special forces recaptured the city’s main hospital, which had been used as a base by the enemy, storming […]