Middle Orient News

US withdraws over 400 troops from Syria

Over 400 US Marines involved in battling the Daesh militant group in Syria are being withdrawn as part of a cut in forces after the capture of militant”capital” Raqqa, the US-led coalition said on Thursday. “The Marines supported Coalition partner forces with precise artillery strikes in the fight against Daesh,” …

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France, US agree that dialogue is solution for Erbil, Baghdad issues

The US and French Presidents in a phone call agree on resolving the issues between the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and the Iraqi government through dialogue. On Monday, the White House, in a statement said that the US President Donald Trump and the French President Emmanuel Macron made a phone …

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Iraqi forces open new front in final push against Daesh

Iraqi forces thrust north from the Euphrates Valley into the desert on Saturday, opening up a new front in the drive to flush out fugitive Daesh militants, a commander said. Daesh has already been driven from all the towns it once held, but Prime Minister Haider al Abadi has said …

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Iraqi troops destroy Islamic State camp in Anbar

The Iraqi army destroyed on Tuesday an Islamic State camp south of Ar-Rutbah town in Anbar, a military commander said. “The army’s 1st brigade destroyed an IS camp at a desert area near Ar-Rutbah town in Anbar,” Commander of Anbar Operations Major General Mahmoud al-Falahi told DijlahTv on Tuesday.

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Syria to join Geneva peace talks

Talks aimed at ending the war in Syria restarted on Tuesday with the Damascus regime enforcing its will, warning the United Nations it would not tolerate any discussion of President Bashar al-Assad’s ouster from power. Assad’s negotiators did not travel to Geneva for the opening of the UN-backed talks, delivering …

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Trump, Macron discuss Syria

President Donald Trump spoke Monday with President Emmanuel Macron of France to discuss the Syrian issue, the White House announced. “The presidents agreed on the importance of the United Nations-based Geneva Process as the only legitimate forum for achieving a political solution in Syria,” the announcement said.

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Iraqi troops uncover Islamic State arms depot in Anbar

Iraqi troops found on Monday an Islamic State arms depot in Hit city in Anbar Province, Al-Ghad Press quoted military media saying. “Military intelligence officers from the 39th brigade have found an underground IS arms depot at al- Bakr district in Hit city in Anbar,” the Directorate of General Military …

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Iraqi forces clear ISIS hideouts in Northern Nineveh

Iraqi forces have cleared roughly five square kilometers of territory in Iraq’s northern Nineveh province of ISIS, an Iraqi police source said Monday. “For the fourth day in a row, joint forces from the army, police and Hashd al-Shaabi are carrying out military operations in Nineveh’s desert region,” Police Brigadier-General …

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Iraq to resume paying war reparations to Kuwait in 2018

Iraq is to resume paying war reparations to Kuwait at the start of 2018, in UN-endorsed compensation for Saddam Hussein’s 1990 invasion of the emirate, the president’s office announced Friday. It said the two countries had agreed during a visit to Kuwait City by President Fuad Masum on Monday for …

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Iraq to declare final victory over Daesh after desert campaign

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Al Abadi said on Tuesday the Daesh extremist group had been defeated from a military perspective but he would only declare final victory after Daesh militants were routed in the desert. Iraqi forces on Friday captured the border town of Rawa, the last remaining town under …

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