Islamic State Fighters Fleeing Raqqa as the Battle Nears the End

U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), have agreed to a proposal with the Islamic State that allows Syrian jihadists to leave the city of Raqqa in exchange for the release of civilians held captive by the ISIS group. A statement released by SDF stated ISIS fighters are fleeing as the SDF has nearly totally captured Raqqa. […]

State-Backed Iraqi Militias Attack Kurdish Positions in Kirkuk

Iraqi Kurdish officials said on Monday that federal forces and state-backed militias had launched a “major, multi-pronged” attack aimed at retaking the disputed northern city of Kirkuk that is held by the Kurdish peshmerga forces. One local Iraqi Kurdish commander said federal forces had seized an oil and gas company and other industrial sites south […]

Iraqi forces demand Kurdish troops’ withdrawal from Kirkuk area

Iraqi forces have demanded that Kurdish troops withdraw from oil fields and military bases around the contested city of Kirkuk, Kurdish officials and a senior militia leader said Friday, leading to a tense standoff around the city. Kurdish peshmerga soldiers rallied to protect Kirkuk on Thursday night, as Interior Ministry troops and Shiite militias mobilized […]

Mattis lays out challenges, solutions facing America’s military in the years to come

American Secretary of Defense James Mattis spoke before the U.S. Army Exposition on Building Readiness in Washington, D.C. on Monday, taking the opportunity to address a number of concerns faced by America’s soldier and civilian populations alike. The storied former Marine general turned Defense Secretary began by emphasizing something that has been a common trend […]

Russian Defense Ministry accuses US of ‘pretending’ to fight ISIS to sabotage Syria

Relations between the United States and Russia continued to publicly degrade on Tuesday, as a spokesman for the Russian Defense Ministry accused the United States of only pretending to fight the Islamic State in Iraq, while intentionally permitting their forces to funnel into Syria where they are engaged with Russian-backed Syrian forces. Everyone sees that […]

ISIS Fighters, Having Pledged to Fight or Die, Surrender en Masse

The prisoners were taken to a waiting room in groups of four, and were told to stand facing the concrete wall, their noses almost touching it, their hands bound behind their backs. More than a thousand prisoners determined to be Islamic State fighters passed through that room last week after they fled their crumbling Iraqi stronghold […]

SOF pic of the day: Scud hunters in Iraq

Saddam Hussein was unable to battle in the air during Desert Storm because of coalition forces’ air superiority. He decided to use Scud missiles to attack Israel in January 1991. Tactically, the Scud would not have a major impact, but its strategic effect was felt Jan. 18 when seven Scuds hit several Israeli cities. The […]

SOF pic of the day: Search and seizure

Special Warfare Boat Operators (SB) from Naval Special Warfare Boat Team (SBT) 12 make their way to a cargo ship to practice maritime visit, board, search, and seizure (VBSS) operations off the coast of San Diego. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Kristopher Kirsop/Released

Endeavor Robotics “FirstLook” Throwable Robot Set to Debut Among SOF

If you’ve ever either been involved in or watched an operation on television involving the use of robots in IED or bomb detection operations, the chances are you’ve seen some of Endeavor Robotics products in action. Endeavor is the largest independent supplier of battle-tested UGVs (unmanned ground vehicle) to the U.S. military with over 6000 […]

Iraqi Forces Drive Islamic State Fighters Out of Central Hawija

Military forces from Iraq are driving out fighters from the Islamic State in their last bastion in Iraqi territory. On Tuesday, the military announced that they’ve driven ISIS troops out of the center of the town of Hawija. In heavy fighting, the Iraqis claim to have killed 196 ISIS fighters and recaptured 98 small villages […]

US service member killed by roadside bomb in Iraq

An American service member in Iraq was killed on Sunday by an improvised roadway bomb, the Pentagon said Monday. A second service member was injured, the Defense Department said. Pentagon officials declined to release the identities of the victims or the location of the bombing, pending notification of family members. Read the whole story from […]

Captured ISIS fighters’ refrain: ‘I was only a cook’

Thousands of civilians fleeing the Iraqi military’s push to evict the Islamic State from its last major urban stronghold in Iraq now include hundreds of suspected fighters for the extremist group, dirty and disheveled, who arrive at checkpoints claiming innocence and begging for mercy. While civilians from the stronghold, the city of Hawija, have sought […]