Islamic State

A member of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) stands guard in a prison where men suspected to be afiliated with the Islamic State (IS) group are jailed in northeast Syria in the city of Hasakeh on Oct. 26, 2019.

US military completes evacuation of ISIS prisoners from Syria to Iraq

The detainee transfer opens the door for US troops to further withdraw from Syria ahead of a potential military confrontation with Iran.

A campfire burns inside al-Hol camp on Jan. 26, 2026 in Al Hasakah, Syria.

Exclusive

Syrian Kurdish officials say 66 Turkish ISIS fighters transferred for relocation to Iraq

The detainees were handed over from SDF custody to the US-led coalition for transfer to Iraqi prisons.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

Members of Syrian security forces at the entrance of the al-Hol camp in the desert region of Hasakah province which holds around 24,000 people, including some 6,200 women and children from around 40 nationalities on Jan. 21, 2026 in Al Hasakah, Syria.

Feature

Syrian Kurds say US ignored pleas for help as ISIS detainees turned on them in al-Hol

Chaos at al-Hol during clashes between Kurdish forces and Damascus underscored the widening security vacuum amid Kurdish claims of US abandonment.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

In this handout photo in an undisclosed location, US Airmen prepare to load GBU-31 munition systems onto F-15E Strike Eagles within the US Central Command area of responsibility, Dec. 18, in support of Operation Hawkeye Strike.

US launches 5 airstrikes in Syria on suspected ISIS sites: What to know

A series of five airstrikes over the past week in Syria comes as the US military increasingly relies on Damascus' forces to contain Islamic State remnants.

Latest News

France's role in Syria-SDF agreement: What to know

Syrian Democratic Forces fighters stand on a pick-up truck to provide security during an inspection of SDF positions on the Tell Brak frontline in Syria on Jan. 26, 2026.

Analysis

Syria’s Kurdish pullback hands Damascus a win — and new ISIS risks

Syrian government troops patrol the streets of Tabqa, in Raqqa province, on the southwestern banks of the Euphrates, Jan. 18, 2026.

Cagatay Cebe

By Cagatay Cebe

In Istanbul, reporting on security and counterterrorism

Feature

ISIS brides face uncertain future as Damascus clashes with Syria’s Kurds

Roj Camp

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

Analysis

Could US shift on Syria’s Kurds unlock progress with Turkey?

Syrian government forces ride on the roof of a vehicle as they deploy after crossing the Euphrates River in the province of Deir Ezzor, eastern Syria, on Jan. 19, 2026.

Ezgi Akin

In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO

Shiite Muslims re-enact the Battle of Karbala.

Suicide attack thwarted as Iraqi Shiites celebrate Ashura

While the history of al-Qaeda in Iraq and the Islamic State continue to haunt Iraq, the start of the annual Shiite religious mourning celebration was largely uneventful — though Diyala province remains problematic.

A frame grab from a videotape aired Aug. 5, 2006, on the Qatar-based Al Jazeera television network.

How Zawahiri's death affects Syrian opposition factions

Hayat Tahrir al-Sham did not issue an official statement regarding Ayman al-Zawahiri’s death, although some if the group's leaders expressed condolences on Telegram.

A member of Iraq's Hashid Shaabi paramilitary force looks on while standing along a runway at the heavily damaged airport of the northern city of Mosul.

Iraq starts rebuilding Mosul airport

Determined to complete the delayed Mosul airport reconstruction project, Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi is granting the project special exceptions to shield it from corruption and complex administrative procedures.

Members of Syria's top jihadist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham.

HTS arrests members of little-known Syrian group behind attacks against Turkish army in Idlib

Hayat Tahrir al-Sham announced that it arrested most members of the Ansar Abu Bakr al-Siddiq Brigade, a small, little-known jihadist group that is hostile to HTS and has repeatedly targeted Turkish forces in Idlib.

A picture shows the site where a US drone targeted Maher al-Agal, a leader in the Islamic State militant group, near the village of Khaltan, near Jindires in northern Syria, on July 12, 2022.

US kills top Islamic State leader in Syria, Pentagon says

Syria's Kurdish-led forces alleged Maher al-Aghal was also affiliated with Turkey-backed opposition group Ahrar al-Sharqiya.

Women and a child queue to receive humanitarian aid packages at the Kurdish-run al-Hol camp.

Iraq’s northwest wary as IS executions, cross-border movement continue

The Islamic State continues to target local tribes and others in desert areas of Iraq and across the border in Syria, as more Iraqi nationals with alleged IS links are moved to an IDP camp in northwestern Iraq.

Lt. Gen. Michael E. Kurilla testifies before the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Conflicting reports on Islamic State leader arrested in US operation in north Syria

The US-led coalition has revealed the identity of the Islamic State leader it arrested during an airdrop operation in northern Syria, saying he was a prominent bombmaker. But some Syrian opposition sources say they got the wrong man.

Members of the Iraqi Counterterrorism Service are deployed in the streets of Baghdad on March 27, 2021.

Iraq targets desert 'wali' and braces for impact of possible conflict

Counterterrorism operations in Iraq’s western desert have resulted in the killing of an Islamic State leader as regional tensions rise across the border ahead of a likely Turkish military operation in northern Syria.

An aerial picture shows Syrian locals near a destroyed truck at the spot where Abu Hassan al-Muhajir, Islamic State spokesman, was reportedly killed in a raid in the village of Ayn al-Bayda near Jarablus, Syria, Oct. 28, 2019.

Breaking | Last Updated: June 17, 2022, 3:34 pm

Senior Islamic State leader detained in US raid in Syria

A senior IS leader was detained by US-led forces during a pre-dawn raid in northern Syria on Thursday.

A member of the Syrian government forces stands next to a well at Jazel oil field near the ancient city of Palmyra.

Gulf states blacklist terror financiers linked to Iran, Islamic State, Syrian regime

Lead figures in the Assad regime’s Qatirji oil-smuggling network were among those sanctioned.

Egyptians gather near a car that exploded after a bomb went off before reaching the intended target, killing three passengers, el-Arish, Sinai Peninsula, July 24, 2013.

Egyptian army changes strategy in war against terrorism in Sinai

The Egyptian army has recently made public statements about its operations against militants in the Sinai Peninsula, pointing to a shift in its strategy that had been reliant on local tribes, while refraining from publicly speaking about the battles.

OZAN KOSE/AFP via Getty Images

New Islamic State leader reportedly caught in Turkey

Islamic State leader Abu Hasan al-Hashemi al-Qurashi has been reportedly arrested in Istanbul, but the news has not yet been independently confirmed.