Turkey to repatriate its ISIS fighters from Iraq as jihadis escalate Syria attacks Ankara will repatriate its nationals from among thousands of fighters transferred from Syria, Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein said. Turkey
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. 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. By Amberin Zaman Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture
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. By Amberin Zaman Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture
Analysis Syria’s Kurdish pullback hands Damascus a win — and new ISIS risks By Cagatay Cebe In Istanbul, reporting on security and counterterrorism
Feature ISIS brides face uncertain future as Damascus clashes with Syria’s Kurds By Amberin Zaman Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture
Turkey helps Moldovan family escape Islamic State camp in Syria The woman and her family had been living in al-Hol since 2019, but their exact connection to IS is unclear. Syria
Islamic State recruit Shamima Begum can return to UK to appeal citizenship removal, court rules The Court of Appeal said Begum, who is currently detained in Syria, should be allowed to return to her home country to fight the UK’s decision to revoke her British citizenship. Syria
Intel: US CENTCOM commander meets with head of Syria’s Kurdish forces The head of Syria’s Kurdish-led militias said he met today with the top commander of US forces in the Middle East, Gen. Frank McKenzie, in northeast Syria. Syria
US military consolidates footprint in Iraq amid pressure from Baghdad The Pentagon's top general overseeing forces in the Middle East, Gen. Frank McKenzie, visited Baghdad this week amid a reshuffle of the US troop presence in the country in coordination with plans to bring in more NATO advisers. Iraq
Assyrians caught in crossfire between Turkey, PKK fighting Wars, attacks by the Islamic State, pressure from remaining militia groups and now attacks by Turkey have emptied or destroyed many Assyrian communities in northern Iraq. Iraq
Counter-Terrorism forces take greater role in Iraq Iraq’s US-trained Counter-Terrorism Services have taken on a more prominent role in operations in recent weeks under the new government. Iraq
Italian police confiscate $1 billion worth of ‘Islamic State-made’ drugs The 84 million Captagon tablets were stashed inside three containers investigators discovered at the Salerno port. Syria
Bolton, Pentagon rallied to keep al-Tanf base in Syria After Donald Trump's surprising tweet in late 2018 that all US troops would return from Syria, John Bolton says he spoke out against the abandonment of the US garrison at al-Tanf. Syria
Netherlands isn’t required to repatriate Islamic State families in Syria, court rules The Netherlands isn't required to bring home from northern Syria a group of 23 Dutch women suspected of joining the Islamic State or their 56 children. Syria
Intel: US doubles reward for information on Islamic State leader The US government is offering $10 million for information leading to the location of Islamic State leader Amir Muhammad Sa’id Abdal-Rahman al-Mawla. United States
Sunni figures in exile return to Iraq as part of national reconciliation Rafi Isawi has returned to Iraq to face trial for accusations related to terrorism; other Sunni figures with similar cases have expressed readiness to return to Iraq. Iraq
Intel: AFRICOM commander visits Libya’s UN-backed prime minister in Tripoli The head of US Africa Command (AFRICOM) and Washington’s ambassador to Libya urged western Libya’s Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj to return to the United Nations-backed cease-fire process during a meeting west of Tripoli on Monday, the State Department said. Originals
