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
Special operations forces reflect on lessons of terror fight The Pentagon’s command for elite special operations forces is assessing how repeated deployments to the Middle East during the war on terror have impacted the forces' core values. Iraq
Forced disappearances in Syria leave invisible toll Syrians continue to look for their loved ones, believed imprisoned or executed by the Islamic State. Syria
Iraq seeks to issue identification papers for IS children Many children born under Islamic State rule in Iraq do not have Iraqi citizenship, but the government is seeking to change that. Iraq
Will Iraq cut a deal to prosecute foreign IS fighters? Iraq is seeking to prosecute foreign Islamic State fighters held in Syria, even if they did not commit crimes in Iraq. Iraq
Congress expands Pentagon aid in Syria to cover Islamic State prisoners The Senate’s new defense authorization bill gives the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces greater leeway to build prisons for Islamic State detainees. Syria
Five years later, calls for accountability over fall of Mosul continue On the fifth anniversary of the fall of Mosul, people decry that no one has been held accountable for the tragedy. Iraq
Islamic State in Iraq is not over yet Several terrorist attacks have occurred over the last several days across Iraq, raising concerns over a resurgence of the Islamic State. Iraq
West Bank security arrests alleged IS recruit targeting Israel Palestinian Authority security services tell Israeli media they arrested a Palestinian woman they believe was going to blow herself up in Israel for the Islamic State. Palestine
IS exploits disputed areas, sets Iraqi fields on fire A rash of farmland set on fire, allegedly by the Islamic State, threatens massive economic loss and more internally displaced persons. Iraq
Iraqi tribes seek to heal enduring wounds of IS legacy Sunni tribes in Iraq that were under the control of the Islamic State for about three years are working toward social reconciliation to end lingering conflict and incidents of revenge. Iraq
Iraq to handle foreign IS fighters' trials Iraq so far is holding roughly a dozen French nationals who fought for the Islamic State. France's response: Keep them. Iraq