Who Might Join US-Led Strikes Against Syria?
The United States says it is working on forming an international coalition to respond to last week’s suspected chemical weapons attack in a rebel-held Syrian town that left dozens dead. Here’s the latest on what countries may take part in possible military action: Britain’s Prime Minister Theresa May. Britain: Prime Minister Theresa May has indicated […]
Precision Strikes Kill 150 IS Terrorists in Syria, Coalition Says
The U.S.-led counter-Islamic State coalition says precision strikes killed about 150 IS terrorists Saturday in eastern Syria. A statement from the coalition said the strikes took out an IS headquarters and command-and-control center near as-Shafah, Syria, in the Middle Euphrates River Valley. “Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on the ground, who continue to be engaged in […]
US Criticizes Turkish Shelling of Kurdish-Held Syria Region
While the United States supports Turkey’s concern about a safe and secure Turkish-Syrian border, military operations by Turkey into northeast Syria will not advance regional stability, the State Department said Friday. Turkey was reportedly intensifying the shelling into Syria’s Kurdish-controlled Afrin region. “We do not believe that a military operation, whether in Afrin or directly […]
The Fate of Minorities in Post-ISIS Syria and Iraq
The ability of Syria and Iraq’s minorities to rebuild their communities in the post-ISIS landscape will depend very much on the political situation in these countries, according to analyst Yousif Kalian.The ability of Syria and Iraq’s minorities to rebuild their communities in the post-ISIS landscape will depend very much on the political situation in these […]
More Than 400 US Marines Leaving Syria
More than 400 U.S. Marines who helped recapture the Syrian city of Raqqa from Islamic State are leaving the country, according to the U.S.-led coalition that is fighting the militant group. “We’re drawing down combat forces where it makes sense, but still continuing our efforts to help Syrian and Iraqi partners maintain security,” U.S. Brigadier […]
Why does Israel keep attacking Syria?
Over the weekend, cross-border violence between Israel and Syria set off an exchange of heated threats between the two countries. On Saturday, the neighbours traded blame when Israel attacked Syrian artillery cannons, claiming it was responding to what might have been errant rocket fire that landed in the Israeli-occupied Syrian Golan Heights. However, neither the […]
Syria’s lost generation: Refugee children at work
Less than half of Lebanon’s school-aged Syrian refugee children enrolled in school last year, and it is expected that at least 50 percent will drop out of classes by the time they are nine years old. Half of the remaining number will leave school by 10, according to the United Nations. Transport, regardless of how […]
Displaced Syrians heading home in larger numbers: IOM
Syrians who have been displaced by the ongoing civil war in their country are heading home in larger numbers, according to a migration agency. The Switzerland-based International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Friday that nearly 603,000 Syrian refugees have set off to return to their cities and villages in the first seven months of […]
UN: Islamic State Killed 231 Civilians Trying to Flee Mosul
The United Nations Human Rights Office said Thursday it has “credible reports” indicating Islamic State fighters in Iraq killed at least 231 civilians who were trying to flee western Mosul. The reported killings happened between May 26 and June 3, all in the al-Shifa neighborhood, and involved people trying to get from Islamic State-held areas […]
US: Coalition Airstrikes Kill 3 Senior Islamic State Leaders
U.S.-led coalition airstrikes have killed three senior Islamic State military officials in Syria and Iraq during the past month, the U.S. military said Friday. Mustafa Gunes, an external operations facilitator from Turkey, was killed by a coalition airstrike near Mayadin, Syria, on April 27. Gunes was linked to facilitating financial support for attacks against Western […]