US-backed fighters seized a quarter of Syria’s Raqqa from the Islamic State group, a monitor said on Monday, less than three weeks after they first launched the offensive to recapture the northern city. Arab and Kurdish militiamen from the Syrian Democratic Forces smashed into the militants’ main Syrian bastion on …
Read More »Iraqi troops advance in Mosul
The battle to take full control of Mosul from Islamic State will be over in a few days after an attempted fightback by the militants failed, an Iraqi general has told Reuters. “Only a small part remains in the city, specifically the Old City,” said Lieutenant General Abdul Ghani al-Assadi, …
Read More »Six killed in fresh clashes in eastern DRC
Fresh clashes on Saturday between government troops and a militia in Nord-Kivu province in the troubled east of Democratic Republic of Congo have left two soldiers and four fighters dead, the army said. The army’s position in Kaseghe was attacked around dawn “by the Mai Mai (militia) which caused the …
Read More »Chad: 8 soldiers killed in clashes with Boko Haram
Eight Chadian soldiers were killed in fierce fighting with Boko Haram insurgents at the weekend on islands on Lake Chad, which borders four countries on the edge of the Sahara, Chad’s army said on Monday. “Our forces attacked Boko Haram elements on five islands near Nigeria on June 24 and …
Read More »India, US to discuss bilateral partnership during Modi's visit
Prime minister Narendra Modi Friday said the aim of his upcoming visit to the US was to build a “forward-looking vision” for the bilateral partnership and further consolidate the robust and wide- ranging ties. Modi, who will be meeting president Donald Trump for the first time on June 26 in …
Read More »Syria: US-backed forces launch siege on Raqqa
The U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have completed a siege on areas under the Islamic State (IS) in Syria’s northern city of Raqqa. The siege on Raqqa has been completed, amid talks among the tribesmen in the city about reviving negotiations with IS over the next 24 hours for the …
Read More »Mosul operations enter final stage
The Islamic State (IS) militants bombed historical al-Nuri mosque on Wednesday during fierce battles against the Iraqi army which has retaken most of Mosul, the country’s second largest city, after eight months of offensives. Iraqi Prime Minister Hadier Abadi said “blowing up the al-Nuri mosque and the al-Hadba minaret is …
Read More »Iraqi PM: Mosul to be liberated within days
The “liberation” of the city of Mosul from Daesh will be announced in a few days, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi said on Thursday, according to Baghdad-based Al-Sumaria TV. “It’s a matter of a few days and we will announce the total liberation of Mosul,” Al-Abadi told reporters in Baghdad, …
Read More »NATO prepared for quick response in Eastern Europe if needed
NATO member countries in Eastern Europe hosted four multinational battalions of the Alliance. Jens Stoltenberg, NATO Secretary General, said during the Allied forces meeting in Latvia. Approximately 4,000 soldiers are stationed in Poland and the Baltic States. Germany is in charge of the battalion in Lithuania, the United States manages …
Read More »Militants clash with troops in eastern DRC
Clashes between militants and government troops on Thursday left 16 dead in the restive east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the army said. The fighting erupted in the eastern suburbs of Beni, a city in the troubled North-Kivu province, with residents hearing gunshots and heavy weapons fire. The province …
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