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
Born in the wrong place: Europe's Islamic State offspring With the Islamic State defeated in Iraq and Syria, parents and relatives of European women and children who joined members of the terrorist organization there are calling on their governments to help facilitate the return of the children to their home countries. Iraq
Mattis denies existence of Iranian 'land bridge' across Middle East In an impromptu visit with reporters on Friday, US Defense Secretary James Mattis denied that Iran had succeeded in constructing a "land bridge" through the Middle East. Syria
Is Islamic State back in Kirkuk? Using reactivated sleeper cells and new tactics in Kirkuk, the Islamic State shows it's back in action even as it is about to lose all its territory in Iraq and Syria. Iraq
Iraqi forces hunt down IS remnants in Hamrin Mountains After the declaration of victory against the Islamic State, Iraqi security forces are still hunting small groups of IS fighters in the remote areas. Iraq
Pro-Iran PMU factions prepare for electoral battle in Iraq Segments of the Popular Mobilization Units close to Iran are forming an alliance to participate in Iraq's upcoming elections. Iraq
Iraqi Christians return after IS amid safety concerns A year after their liberation from IS, Christian towns in Iraq are populated once again by their original inhabitants, but many remain wary about returning home. Iraq
Iran calls Haley's missile claim 'ridiculous' Iranian officials view UN Ambassador Nikki Haley’s speech accusing Tehran of sending missiles to the Houthis in Yemen as politically motivated. Saudi Arabia
Sinai tribes say IS’ end is near in the area In an interview with Al-Monitor, the head of the Sinai Tribal Union discussed a future Sinai free of Wilayat Sinai and developing through investment. Egypt
US elite troop training in Iraq lags after Mosul The United States and its allies aren’t training elite counterterrorism forces fast enough to replace the losses incurred in the brutal fight against the Islamic State. Iraq
Election wranglers manipulate fate of displaced Iraqis The crisis of the displaced within Iraq has become a tool in the hands of political parties exploiting it for advantage in the upcoming election. Iraq
KRG parliament speaker calls for rethinking strategy in Baghdad talks The speaker of Iraqi Kurdistan's parliament, Yusuf Mohammed Sadiq, is calling for the establishment of new mechanisms of governance in the region. Iraq
US faces uphill battle recouping arms from Syrian Kurds As the fight against the Islamic State winds down, the Donald Trump administration says it plans to get back the weapons it loaned to Kurdish troops opposed by Turkey. Syria
