When the Taliban overran the district center of Maruf in the southern Afghan province of Kandahar this year, the government resorted to a familiar tactic: Simply relocate the district office 25 miles to the south to say it had not fallen.

American forces struck al Qaeda “leadership at a training facility near Aleppo Province, Syria” yesterday, according to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM). The missile strike targeted al Qaeda “operatives responsible for plotting external attacks threatening U.S. citizens, our partners, and innocent civilians.” The U.S. military did not provide any specific details …

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said he is supplying militias backing the Tripoli government with arms, armoured vehicles and drones.