Islamic State

Could a Clash Between Iran and the US Troops Be Coming in Syria?

While both Iran and the United States have engaged in a war of words since the fall of the Shah, their enmity has never spilled over into open conflict. But now the two sides are increasingly moving in that direction as their forces are getting within close proximity to one another in Syria. Tensions between […]

Watch the Kurdish Peshmerga train with the SPG-9

The SPG-9 is a recoilless rifle designed by the Soviet Union and brought into service in 1962 under the nomenclature of Kopye (Spear). It fires a 73mm projectile that travels at speeds of up to 700 meters per second and is stabilized by an expanding fin system like that of an RPG-7 projectile. The weapon […]

Bolton Wants to Build Arab Force in Syria to Replace the US

President Trump’s new national security adviser John Bolton and Secretary of State nominee Mike Pompeo are among those pushing to build a coalition of Arab military forces that could replace US troops in Syria and serve as a stabilizing force in the region once ISIS is defeated, according to official sources. While convincing nations like […]

Kirkuk residents flee their homes in fear of ISIS resurgence

Kirkuk residents are fleeing their homes in the belief that the Islamic State will re-emerge due to the lack of security forces in the region. Residents say that Islamic State militants infiltrate their villages during the night to procure food and supplies, threatening villagers lives and forcing them to flee. For those that refuse to […]

Turkey intends to move on Manbij after Tal Rifaat

Bekir Bozdag, Deputy Prime Minister for Turkey, has suggested that Turkey still intends to move on from Afrin and reclaim Manbij while eliminating the YPG presence there and eventually moving on to the PKK in Sinjar. Bozdag told Turkish media, “Just as Afrin was cleared of the YPG/PYD terror organization, now Tal Rifaat will be cleared. Manbij […]

Peshmerga will return to Kirkuk and work with Iraqi forces

As the Islamic State increases their frequency of terror attacks in Kirkuk, the Iraqi Army will soon reluctantly be conducting joint security operations with the Kurdish Peshmerga thanks to pressure from the United States led coalition. High ranking Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) official, Rawand Mullah Mahmood, made it known that the United States is encouraging […]

It is Time To Think About Withdrawing Troops From Syria

Opinion: The President surely opened up a can of worms when he spoke about withdrawing our military troops from Syria and soon. Just last week, Trump said “We’ll be coming out of Syria like very soon,” before a Pentagon spokesman calmed our allies fears by stating that the United States was committed, at least until […]

Manbij prepares for the Turkish military’s attack

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has now begun threatening to conquer the Kurdish city of Manbij in northern Syria. Manbij is the staging area for a large portion of the Syrian Democratic Forces as well as the United States military. Two coalition service members (a Delta Force and SAS soldier) were recently killed there by […]

Trump Wants to Get Out of Syria, But Military Advisors Say Not Yet

President Trump says it is the time to get all of the U.S. military troops out of Syria, which they entered the civil war to deter ISIS, but have since been embroiled in other fighting. The president’s comments appear to contradict U.S. military and national security advisors, who were speaking simultaneously at the U.S. Institute […]

Hashd al-Shaabi raid ISIS terror cells

An Iraqi Federal Police anti-terror unit conducted a raid along side Hashd al-Shaabi forces last week against Islamic State sleeper cells in several villages near the city of Kirkuk. During the raid, one ISIS collaborator (a shepherd) was killed and  5 ISIS militants were arrested. The operation was executed at night. According to reports, Hashd al-Shaabi fighters went […]

Peshmerga look to conduct joint security operations with Iraqi forces

The Peshmerga are prepared to conduct joint security operations alongside Iraqi counter parts according to officials with the Kurdish security forces. The move to unify their forces comes during the aftermath of the Islamic State conflict. Now that the caliphate has collapsed, ISIS forces are reverting to sleeper cells and insugency based tactics. A series […]

Two Coalition Troops Killed in Syria By IED, Five Wounded

Reports from U.S. military personnel in Syria say that two coalition personnel have been killed and five were wounded by a roadside bombing in Syria on Friday. IEDs attacks, while common in Iraq have been rare since the U.S-led coalition sent troops into Syria’s war-torn country. The military did not say where the incident occurred […]