US forces bombed their own base in Syria to keep Turkey from getting to their ammo

Shortly after President Donald Trump ordered U.S. troops out of Northern Syria, a pair of U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles carried out an airstrike against the LaFarge Cement Factory base in the region, which had served as a joint U.S. Special Operations and Syrian Democratic Forces installation since it was liberated from ISIS control […]

The Pic of the Day: Who said Generals don’t get their hands dirty?

U.S. Army Maj. Gen. James Jarrard, left, the then-commander of Special Operations Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve, provides assistant gunner support to a member of the 5th Special Forces Group during counter-ISIS operations in southern Syria. Maj. Gen. Jarrard is currently the commander of the 25 Infantry Division.

Watch: Russian mercenaries take control of abandoned US camp in Syria

Videos surfaced on Twitter in the past week that appear to show Russian mercenaries contracted to the Syrian government via the paramilitary Wagner Group assuming control of an abandoned American installation in Northern Syria. American troops left the base willingly after President Trump issued an order to withdraw from the region, providing Turkey with the […]

‘We abandoned our Kurdish partners.” SOF General who defeated ISIS speaks out

President Donald Trump saw harsh criticism from leaders on both sides of the political aisle earlier this week when he gave the order to remove U.S. troops from a number of “safe zones” in Northern Syria, opening up Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces to attack from the Turkish military. The president has made a number of […]

Ending the ‘forever wars?’ US to deploy more troops to defend Saudi Arabia from Iran

The Pentagon announced plans to deploy 1,500 more troops to Saudi Arabia on Friday, including two fighter squadrons, one air expeditionary wing, two Patriot missile batteries, and a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system. This decision comes shortly after President Trump announced the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Northern Syria, a move that has […]

The Video of the Week: Air Force EOD and Special Forces operators clear ISIS tunnel

As Turkey invades Northern Syria in an attempt to secure its southern border, deal with the Kurds, and relocate a few millions of people, it worth remembering why U.S. warfighters are in Syria in the first place. This video shows an Air Force Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) technician attached to a Special Forces Operational Detachment […]

Turkey attacks compound of elite US-led Kurdish counterterrorism unit

A compound that houses elements of the elite Kurdish Yekineyen Anti-Terror (YAT) unit was bombed by Turkish forces in the early stages of the invasion of Northern Syria. YAT is a counterterrorism unit created and trained to hunt down Islamic State (ISIS) terrorists. U.S. Special Operations Forces (SOF) are training, advising, and operating with the […]

Independent Kurdistan: It pays to pick a winner

There is a lot of talk in the media and among military and political leaders these days about the Kurds and their fight against ISIS in Syria and Iraq. This author wrote of the option of going to fight ISIS with the Kurds, and one of SOFREP’s own traveled to the region, and has documented his […]

Ally or enemy? US bows to Turkish pressure in Syria

Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar has promised that his country would cease its cooperation with the United States if no progress is made on the creation of a safe zone in Syria’s northeast. In a recent phone call with his American counterpart Defense Secretary Mark Esper, Akar reiterated the longstanding request made by Turkey that […]

Meet the new air support Rules of Engagement in Iraq

A series of unidentified explosions around Iraq have triggered a political reaction that might affect how American and coalition warfighters destroy the remnants of the Islamic State (ISIS). From now on, the Iraqi government and military will review the air tasking order on a daily basis to determine which air missions will be greenlighted. The […]

Being grateful on September 11th: A Marine veteran and father looks back

For every year of my adult life, September has opened on a somber note. As a journalist that works in the National Security and Defense sphere, I’ve come to embrace the sadness this month brings with it, often channeling the lump in my throat for the sake of content — writing pieces each year that […]