Middle Orient

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 …

The European Union imposed sanctions on 16 Syrian scientists and military officials on Monday for their suspected involvement in a chemical attack in northern Syria in April which killed scores of civilians. Western intelligence agencies accuse the government of Bashar Assad of carrying out the attack, arguing that rebels in …

The Small Group of the Global Coalition to Defeat the so-called Islamic State (IS) meet Thursday to synthesize this week’s Coalition meetings and discuss priorities to build on the progress in Mosul and Raqqa, and to set (IS) on an irreversible and lasting path to defeat across the globe. In …

Iraqi forces hit further pockets of resistance from Islamic State militants in Mosul’s Old City on Friday, four days after the prime minister declared victory. Army helicopters flew overhead and explosions could be heard, residents said. “Three mortars landed on our district,” a resident of Faysaliya, just across the Tigris …

Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force Gen. David L. Goldfein held talks in Ankara with his Turkish counterparts. Goldfein met with Commander of the Turkish Air Force Abidin Ünal and other senior military officials in order to discuss ongoing military cooperation in Syria as part of international …

American military advisors are operating inside the city of Raqqa,ISIL’s last major stronghold in Syria, a US official said on Wednesday. The troops, many of them special operations forces, are working in an “advise, assist and accompany” role to support local fighters from the Syrian Democratic Forces as they battle …