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 […]

Shooting from retention and its application

Shooting from retention or from the clinch is an under appreciated skill that should honestly see more practice from the shooters who conceal carry a pistol routinely. There is a good chance that a concealed carry self defense based situation will occur within extremely close proximity to the target, a fully extended shot may not […]

Iraq is ranked among the world’s most corrupt countries

Transparency International is a Berlin based organization that has bestowed upon Iraq a corruption ranking of 169th out of 180 different countries. The report was filed yesterday and it comes as no surprise given Iraq’s propensity for extortion on any given level of authority or government. Turkey was ranked 81, Iran was 130, and Syria […]

Situational projection and awareness in everyday routine

Any combat veteran does this routinely, personally I can’t turn it off and it drives my significant other crazy sometimes. We walk into buildings, rooms, down the street, etc. and I determine where our points of egress and cover are, among other things. If you get good at it (repetition), it’s a subconscious and fast […]

Ukraine experiences heavy clashes over the weekend

Ukrainian army combat outposts and individual positions in the region of Donbass were attacked by separatist forces 15 times over the course of 24 hours yesterday. One Ukrainian soldier was killed in action and seven injured during the fighting. The press center for Ukraine’s Anti-terrorism Operation headquarters released the following statement, “In the Luhansk sector, […]

Iraq declares intentions for Kurdistan flight ban.

Iraq’s Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi told press that he will only lift the flight ban for Kurdistan if the conditions put forth are met. He said, “If the conditions are met, I will open [the airports] tomorrow. If the conditions are not met, they will not be opened in five years or even 10 years. I […]

Drawing a weapon from a holstered position

Drawing a pistol is an art-form that requires practice to do subconsciously efficient. Every holster and firearms combination is different or has the possibility to be, given the different body types and capabilities of different people. The draw can be done from the same setup a variety of ways depending on the individual’s position as […]

That first Claymore and getting switched on

We were heading out on our first reconnaissance mission, our objective was located in the no man’s land (but mostly Separatist controlled) that divided the Ukrainian military outposts and Separatist trenches. The countryside was a lush green and seemed rather peaceful given the circumstances. Sitting at an outpost smoking cigarettes, we had to wait for […]

Hasdt al-Shaabi combats remnants of ISIS

On Sunday Hasdt al-Shaabi forces began anti-terror operations in southwest Kirkuk, where they engaged a substantial force of Islamic State fighters. In the course of the battle, 27 Hasdt al-Shaabi were killed or captured in the province of Hawija over the span of several days. The operation was in an effort to combat known ISIS […]

Massive POW swap between Ukraine and Russian separatists is the first in 15 months

A massive prisoner swap has taken place between Ukraine and Russian separatist rebels. Hundreds of POWs were traded by both sides in one of the largest exchanges since the conflicts started in 2014. Nearly 230 men and women were returned to separatist controlled territory in exchange for 74 Ukrainian prisoners being held in the Donetsk […]

3 YPG foreign fighters die fighting Turkey

Three of the foreign fighters to rally to the call for international support from Rojava have been killed fighting Turkish military Forces. Turkish forces began their assault against the Syrian Democratic Forces in January this year and have Killed a number of SDF fighters as well as civilians as a result. The offensive was launched […]

Kurdish PUK plans restructuring of party

In an effort to create a inclusive structuring for the newest generation of Kurds, the PUK (Patriotic Union of Kurdistan) is planning a major overhaul of their political party. Plans to overhaul the party were proposed in light of the upcoming congress to be held among its members. On Thursday acting head of the PUK, […]