Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad on Wednesday issued Decree No. 273 endorsing the formation of the new government led, by Prime Minister Dr. Wael Nader al-Halaqi. The 34-member lineup includes 21 ministers who got their terms in office renewed including the sovereign portfolios, according to SANA news agency. Following is a …
Read More »Syria says is willing to work with UN to combat IS
he Syrian government said Monday it was ready to work with United Nations-backed groups to fight Islamic State militants, after the Tabqa airbase on the Iraq-Syria border was seized. The statement by Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moallem warned, though, that any airstrike against IS on Syrian territory “should be done in coordination with the …
Read More »ISIL a regional issue, US general says
The U.S. military could move against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in Syria once its militants are determined to have become a direct threat to the U.S. homeland or Europe, but not before, U.S. Gen. Martin Dempsey has said. Right now, the insurgent group is still …
Read More »Britain will not collaborate with Assad to combat Islamic State
Britain will not work with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to combat Islamic State (IS) fighters in the country and his permission would not be needed for any military intervention, Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said Friday. Hammond also said Britain had no plans to arm moderate fighters in Syria’s civil war, …
Read More »UN says 700,000 Iraqis are displaced in Kurdish north
About 700,000 Iraqis have gathered in the Kurdish north after being driven from their homes by jihadist fighters, the United Nations said Aug. 22 as it stepped up a massive aid operation to the region. “The Kurdistan region of Iraq is now hosting close to 700,000 displaced Iraqis, most having …
Read More »Over 40 killed by Islamic State attack on Iraq Sunni mosque
Militants targeted a Sunni mosque in a province next to the Iraqi capital during Friday prayers, killing at least 46 people and wounding over 50 as members of the Islamic State group continue to push through the area, officials said.
Read More »France calls on international support on tackling Islamic State
French President Francois Hollande called on Wednesday for an international conference to discuss ways of tackling “Islamic State” insurgents who have seized control of territory in Iraq and Syria.
Read More »Morocco dismantles recruitment cell for Iraq
Moroccan police say they have dismantled a nine-person cell recruiting volunteers to fight with the radical Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq. The interior ministry statement on Thursday said the investigation into the network, based in the cities of Tetouan, Fez and Fnideq, was carried out in co-operation with …
Read More »Germany, Italy to provide arms to Kurdish fighters
Germany is prepared to arm Kurdish fighters battling Sunni insurgents in northern Iraq, officials said Wednesday, Aug 20, according to the Associated Press. Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier cited the “barbaric” actions of the Islamic State group that has taken control of large parts of Iraq in recent weeks, and the …
Read More »Syrian forces strike Islamic State terrorists
As the U.S. military strikes the Islamic State group in Iraq, Syrian President Bashar Assad’s forces have significantly stepped up their own campaign against militant strongholds in Syria, carrying out dozens of airstrikes against the group’s headquarters in the past two days. While the government in Damascus has long turned …
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