Middle Orient

The US State Department on Wednesday released the Country Reports on Terrorism 2016, where it highlighted the UAE’s increased counterterrorism efforts. “The nation increased its counter-terrorism prosecutions in the last year, with the Federal Supreme Court’s State Security Court hearing more than three dozen separate terrorism-related cases,” it said.

Iraqi forces on Thursday regained control over Imam Gharbi, a village south of Mosul, from Daesh militants who had seized it as their defence of their stronghold in the city crumbled, Iraqi police said. The action formed part of the next phase of the US-backed government’s campaign to drive Daesh …

EU High Representative Federica Mogherini met with the Lebanese foreign minister Affairs Gebran Bassil Tuesday and discussed the Syrian crisis and its consequences on Lebanon. “We discussed in particular the Syrian crisis, the impact in Lebanon; We continue to be on the same side here agreeing that only a political …

The European Union (EU) announced on Wednesday that it will provide 1.5 million euro (USD 1.7 mn) to support the International Independent Mechanism to Facilitate Investigations into the Most Serious Violations of International Law committed in Syria since March 2011. “Achieving justice for the victims is essential for a genuine …

A total of 47 Islamic State (IS) militants were killed on Monday in Iraqi airstrikes in and near the IS-held town of Tal Afar in west of Mosul, the Iraqi military said. Iraqi jets conducted airstrikes on an IS post in the IS-held town of Mahalabiyah near the IS stronghold …

Egypt is ready to help Iraq restore its security and stability as well as reconstruct Iraqi cities after the country’s recent victories over the militant group Daesh, Egypt’s foreign minister Sameh Shoukry told Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi during Shoukry’s first visit to Mosul following its liberation from Daesh.

European Union Foreign Ministers meeting here Monday adopted a crisis management concept for a new civilian CSDP (Common Security and Defence Policy ) mission in Iraq. The decision comes after a request by the Iraqi authorities and the adoption of a crisis management concept is the first step to launch …

Turkey’s Parliament approved the Cabinet’s motion Monday to extend the ongoing state of emergency in the country for another three months starting from July 19, official media reported. The motion was backed by votes of ruling Justice and Development Party and opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP).

The European Union agreed Monday to send a security assistance delegation to Iraq as part of its Common Security and Defense Policy (CSDP). “The mission will focus on assisting the Iraqi authorities in the implementation of the civilian aspects of the Iraqi security strategy,” said the council in a statement. …

US-backed forces said Monday they had seized a new neighbourhood from the Daesh terror group in the extremist stronghold of Raqqa in northern Syria. The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), an alliance of Kurdish and Arab fighters, have been pressing an operation to capture the extremist stronghold since last year, and …