Syrian army exploiting territory lost by Islamic State forces

Military forces from the regime of Bashar al-Assad, along with Iranian-sponsored militias, are moving quickly to capture territory abandoned by the Islamic State as they retreat in the face of the U.S.-led coalition’s campaign in Syria, Reuters reports. Syrian rebel commanders reported on the government troop movements Monday, saying Assad forces were moving quickly with […]

Philippine Scout-Rangers: Abu Sayaf’s worst nightmare

“We are the worst nightmare of the enemy,” Lieutenant Colonel Rapi told me while speaking of the Philippine Scout-Rangers when I met him at Special Operations Command at Fort Magsaysay. To find out why the Scout-Rangers are so formidable, I had to travel to the Philippines southernmost major island called Tawi-Tawi. It was early in […]

Special Operations Forces Focus on Advisory Role Paying Off

For the past decade plus, Special Operations Forces have been utilized heavily on the Direct Action, (DA) side of operations including Counter-Terrorism (CT) in the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Syria. But the pendulum is swinging back toward the traditional advisory role of SOF as the allies in Syria, Iraq, and in Afghanistan begin to […]

Hezbollah says future war would be on Israeli territory

Lebanese Hezbollah said on Thursday that any future conflict between the Shi’ite group and Israel could take place inside Israeli territory, as tensions rise between the arch foes. Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah’s leader, also said in a speech televised live that the group was dismantling all its military positions along Lebanon’s eastern border with Syria, […]

Special Operations Forces Focus on Advisory Role Paying Off

For the past decade plus, Special Operations Forces have been utilized heavily on the Direct Action, (DA) side of operations including Counter-Terrorism (CT) in the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Syria. But the pendulum is swinging back toward the traditional advisory role of SOF as the allies in Syria, Iraq, and in Afghanistan begin to […]

U.S. military spokesman: every weapon given to Kurds will be accounted for

Defending against potential criticism of a recent Department of Defense decision to openly provide weapons to Kurdish fighters in Syria, Operation Inherent Resolve spokesman Colonel John Dorrian tweeted yesterday that every weapon will be completely accounted for and pointed at the Islamic State. Every single one of these weapons that will be provided to our […]

Turkey warns U.S. of blowback from decision to arm Kurdish fighters in Syria

Turkey warned the United States on Wednesday that a decision to arm Kurdish forces fighting Islamic State in Syria could end up hurting Washington, and accused its NATO ally of siding with terrorists. The rebuke came a week before President Tayyip Erdogan is due in Washington for his first meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, […]

Turkey Threatens Military Action against U.S.-allied Kurds

The government of Turkey in response to the news that the Trump Administration is going to arm the Syrian Kurds with heavy weapons has threatened to take military action against them. US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis spoke to the media on Wednesday and said that the US and Turkey were having open discussions but was […]

U.S.-backed Syria militias say Tabqa, dam captured from Islamic State

U.S.-backed Syrian militias said they fully seized the town of Tabqa and Syria’s largest dam from Islamic State on Wednesday, a major objective as they prepare to launch an assault on Raqqa, the jihadists’ biggest urban stronghold. The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), an alliance of Kurdish and Arab fighters, have been battling the militant group […]

James Mattis announces US will ‘accelerate the fight’ against ISIS in Iraq and Syria

In a joint press conference conducted with Denmark’s Defense Minister Claus Hjort Frederiksen, American Secretary of Defense James Mattis announced that the coalition will begin accelerating its campaign against ISIS in Iraq and Syria. “We will further accelerate this fight to free people from ISIS’ crushing occupation and [the] enemy’s terror threat to Europe and […]

US to Arm the Kurds with Heavier Weapons, Against Wishes of Turkey

The United States is going to provide the Kurd forces in Syria with heavier weapons as they prepare to attack the key Islamic State stronghold of Raqqa, U.S. officials said Tuesday. The Trump Administration’s decision is not being met with much happiness in Turkey as the government of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan views the […]

ISIS releases video of beheading of accused Russian spy (GRAPHIC IMAGES)

The Islamic State has reportedly released a video showing the beheading of a Russian intelligence operative accused of spying on the terrorist group in Syria. According to ISIS representatives, the video released on various social media accounts managed by the organization depicts the killing of Captain Yevgeny Petrenko, a 36-year-old man accused of infiltrating Islamic extremist groups […]