Syria announces capture of senior ISIS official near Manbij: What to know Abu Jihad al-Muhajir is the highest-profile alleged Islamic State official captured by Syrian government forces since US troops withdrew from the country in April. By Jared Szuba In Washington, DC, reporting on defense, national security, military
In Trump meeting, Iraq PM says US troops to withdraw by Sept. 30 The White House appeared to support a deadline to remove remaining American counter-ISIS troops from Iraq, but security concerns among Washington's Kurdish partners and US business firms remain. By Jared Szuba In Washington, DC, reporting on defense, national security, military
At least 6 killed, 22 wounded in Damascus cafe explosion: What to know Syrian authorities have yet to identify a perpetrator in relation to the incident, and armed groups opposing the transitional government did not immediately take credit. Syria
Turkey captures alleged ISIS-K media chief near Afghanistan-Pakistan border The capture comes as Turkish authorities intensify raids against Islamic State networks following recent attacks and alleged plots. Turkey
Syrian government steps up attack against Islamist enclave The Syrian military is taking more aggressive military action against Hayat Tahrir al-Sham in Idlib. Syria
Syrian Kurdish forces require displaced Arabs to obtain 'expat card' to remain in their areas The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) is requiring Arabs displaced from all Syrian regions who are living in the areas under their control to obtain an expatriate card to be allowed to enter or remain. Syria
Babil massacre increases demand to reform Iraqi security forces Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi refers to the "heartbreaking massacre" and reinforces his commitment to security reform after 20 family members are killed based on specious charges. Iraq
Islamic State ramps up activities in eastern Syria Islamic State is applying Sharia rules in the eastern countryside of Deir ez-Zor and imposing taxes on residents by force of arms. Syria
Syrian soldiers killed in deadly Islamic State ambush in Deir Ezzor The Syrian army loyal to Bashar al-Assad has struggled to control the country's eastern desert. Syria
Kurdish leaders say poverty 'biggest threat,' driving Syrians into arms of IS Offers of money by the Islamic State to join its ranks prove "irresistible" to those hit hard by Syria's collapsed economy. Syria
Iraq continues to kill, capture IS members as effectiveness questioned Iraqi security forces have captured and killed a number of key Islamic State facilitators and others in the past month amid a US mission transition and concerns over coordination. Iraq
Islamic State's spread beyond Syria, Iraq remains concern for US The State Department's annual report on terrorism said Islamic State branches outside of Iraq and Syria caused more fatalities in 2020 than any previous year. News Brief
Syria, Iraq discuss boosting trade The two countries also discussed cooperation on oil imports earlier this year. News Brief
Pentagon: Four Islamic State fighters killed in nighttime Syria raid Conflicting accounts of the raid emerged amid renewed scrutiny of the Pentagon's oversight of civilian casualties in Syria. Syria
Sinai tribes hunt Islamic State bomb makers Sinai tribes join the hunt for IS explosives engineers, potentially depriving the terrorist group of its last technique in its fight against the Egyptian army. Egypt
Jihadis from Syria blamed for multiple attacks on Iraqi Kurds An onslaught of attacks on Kurdish peshmerga forces and villages in northern Iraq has sparked concerns over the presence of Islamic State cells and whether they have been bulked up by jihadis arriving from Syria. Iraq
