Eurasia News

US-backed forces have penetrated the heavily fortified heart of extremist bastion Raqqa for the first time, in a key milestone in the war against the Daesh terror group in Syria. Air strikes by the US-led coalition battling Daesh punched two holes in the medieval wall surrounding Raqqa’s Old City, allowing …

Iraqi forces have pushed ISIS into a shrinking rectangle no more than 300 by 500 meters beside the Tigris river, but slowed their advance on Tuesday out of caution for an estimated 10,000 civilians trapped there alongside the militants, reported Reuters. Residents have been caught in the crossfire – and …

Iraq’s Prime Minister Haidar Al-Abadi on Tuesday said his country wouldn’t hesitate to bombard targets of the so-called Islamic State in Syria again if necessary. Speaking at a news conference, he added that Iraqi forces don’t want to interfere in domestic affairs of neighboring countries, but they had to shell …

The US military says it has carried out an airstrike against al-Shabaab in Somalia as the Trump administration quietly steps up efforts against the deadliest Islamic extremist group in Africa. Pentagon spokesperson Major Audricia M Harris said the strike occurred on Sunday afternoon Somalia time and the US was assessing …

Egypt’s parliament has approved a presidential decision to extend the state of emergency nationwide for another three months. President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi initially imposed the state of emergency after suicide bombings struck two Coptic Christian churches on Palm Sunday in an attack that was claimed by the Egyptian

Morocco’s top diplomat said on Tuesday that the United Nations is to lead efforts to end a dispute over a partially recognised state in Western Sahara that Rabat considers its territory. Speaking in Addis Ababa at his first African Union summit since Morocco returned to the bloc in January, Foreign …

NATO’s new missions in Eastern Europe, aimed at discouraging Russia from striking American allies are now “fully operational” before Russian mass drill in the region. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced on Thursday that the Alliance’s “forward presence is fully operational in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland. This sends a …

French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Mali on Sunday to boost Western backing for a regional anti-jihadist force, with France urging greater support for the Sahel region amid mounting insecurity. The so-called “G5 Sahel” countries south of the Sahara – Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger – have pledged …

Egypt says it will host a meeting of Arab nations that have cut off ties to Qatar. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ahmed Abu Zeid says foreign ministers of Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates will meet in Cairo on Wednesday. He says the meeting will discuss the future …

The European Union extended its sanctions on Russia six months on Wednesday, keeping restrictions on business with the Russian energy, defense and financial sectors. The formal extension of sanctions was adopted unanimously by the EU Council. As a result of the measures, European companies can not borrow or borrow five …