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Russia says ‘evidence’ links Ukraine to Moscow attack
MOSCOW, RUSSIA - Russia said on Thursday it had evidence the perpetrators of last week's massacre at a concert hall outside Moscow were linked to "Ukrainian nationalists", a claim that the United States called nonsense. President Vladimir Putin and his security services continue to allege Kyiv and the West were involved...
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Death toll from IS twin bombings rises to 91, says Iran
TEHRAN, IRAN - A bombing attack in southern Iran claimed by the Islamic State group has killed 91 people, state media said on Saturday, raising an earlier toll after two victims had succumbed to wounds. The two blasts in Kerman on Wednesday hit crowds at a memorial ceremony near the tomb... -
MSF suspends ‘vital’ medical aid from Iraq’s Mosul
Mosul, Iraq -- Medical charity Doctors Without Borders announced Wednesday the suspension of "vital" medical activities in two hospitals in the war-scarred city of Mosul, blaming Iraq's bureaucracy of delaying the delivery of supplies. "Essential medical activities have been suspended at two health facilities... after stocks of medicines and supplies ran... -
Three Iraqi soldiers killed in country’s north, says military official
Three Iraqi soldiers were killed and four others wounded in a pre-dawn attack in the country's north blamed on the Islamic State group, a military official said. The assailants used automatic weapons in the attack on their barracks, about 25 kilometers west of the city of Kirkuk, the official said... -
Iraqi museum damaged by IS works toward reopening
IS militants used sledgehammers and power tools to deface ancient statues and pre-Islamic treasures housed in the museum. -
Iran’s president criticizes US presence in Middle East
Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi slammed the United States' presence in the Middle East, as he hosted his counterpart from neighboring Iraq for wide-ranging talks. Decades-old arch enemies the United States and Iran have vied for influence in Iraq since the 2003 US-led invasion toppled dictator Saddam Hussein. Both helped Iraq... -
US raid in Syria targets senior IS leader: Centcom
Beirut, Lebanon--A US helicopter raid on Monday targeted a senior Islamic State group leader in Syria suspected of plotting attacks in Europe and the Middle East, US Central Command said. "US Central Command forces conducted a unilateral helicopter raid in northern Syria in the early morning... targeting a senior ISIS Syria... -
Iraqi women fashion a new future far away from home
Dozens of women who had fled deadly violence in Iraq found a home in a Jordanian church where, without work, they learn skills to earn a living. -
Blast wounds four US troops in Syria, IS leader killed, says military
WASHINGTON, US - An explosion wounded four American military personnel during a raid that killed a senior Islamic State (IS) group leader in Syria, the US military's Central Command said Friday. "Last night, during a partnered US and Syrian Democratic Forces helicopter raid in northeastern Syria, an explosion on target resulted... -
At least 20 escape Syria prison holding IS inmates after quake
The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor said it could not verify whether prisoners had escaped, but confirmed there was a mutiny. At least 1,444 people died Monday across Syria after the devastating earthquake that had its epicentre in southwestern Turkey, the government and rescuers said. -
More than 100 IS members arrested in operation: Syria Kurds
More than 100 members of Islamic State group have been arrested by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in an eight-day operation dubbed Operation Al-Jazeera Thunderbolt. The sweep was launched after scuttling an IS attempt to free fellow militants from prison in Raqa, the jihadist group's former Syrian stronghold. -
Explosion near Kabul military airfield kills, wounds several people: Official
The Taliban authorities claim to have improved security since storming back to power in August 2021 but there have been scores of bomb blasts and attacks, many claimed by the local chapter of the Islamic State group. -
Libya court sentences 17 ‘IS members’ to death
Tripoli, Libya-- A Libyan court on Monday sentenced 17 people to death after finding them guilty of joining the Islamic State group and carrying out atrocities in its name, the prosecution said. The Tripoli court also sentenced two people to life in prison and 14 others to lesser jail sentences,... -
Seven Iraqi police killed in suspected IS attack: police sources
Kirkuk, Iraq-- At least seven members of Iraq's federal police were killed Sunday during an attack near Kirkuk in the country's north, where remnants of Islamic State group jihadists are active, police and government sources told AFP. A bomb blast initially targeted a truck transporting the men. It was followed by "a... -
Iraq’s Mosul healing slowly, five years after IS defeat
Signs of reconstruction dot the city of 1.5 million, with workers constructing a new bridge, and cafes and restaurants buzzing. But many buildings and public hospitals are still in ruins, and in the Old City, some areas are still just piles of rubble. -
Lebanon extradites Saddam Hussein’s “grandnephew” to Iraq
Accused of involvement in a massacre by the Islamic State group, Abdullah Sabawi, dubbed as the "grandnephew" of the late Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, has been extradited from Lebanon to Iraq. Sabawi is alleged to have been a member of IS and having participated in the Speicher massacre. -
Iraq launches rebuilding of Mosul airport destroyed in ISIS battle
Entire sectors of the northern metropolis have remained in ruins since the July 2017 recapture of Mosul by Iraqi forces backed by a US-led multinational coalition. The airport, which was heavily damaged in the battle, has been disused since ISIS seized Mosul and adjacent areas in 2014. -
Troubled waters: Iraqi spa reborn after IS massacres
Located 30km south of Mosul, Hamam al-Alil , meaning the baths of the sick in Arabic, built a solid reputation over decades with its therapeutic sulfurous waters. -
For Iraqis back from Syria, life on hold in ‘rehabilitation’ camp
Iraqi Foreign Minister said his country is determined to repatriate all the families stuck in the Syrian camp after "security checks" are completed. -
US-led forces shoot down armed drone in Iraq
The US-led coalition fighting the Islamic State group in Iraq said it shot down Friday an armed drone that targeted an air base, reporting no casualties or damage. The base, which is controlled by Iraq, is located in the desert in the western Anbar province. -
Ericsson board censured for graft
Shareholders sanctioned it for alleged payments to terror groups. -
Iraq building Syria wall to keep out Islamic State fighters
Iraq is building a concrete wall along part of its border with Syria to stop Islamic State group jihadists from infiltrating, an Iraqi military source said Sunday. In the "first stage" of construction, a wall around "a dozen kilometers (seven miles) long and 3.5 meters (11 feet) high was built... -
Iraq digs up mass grave containing bodies of IS fighters, relatives
Iraqi authorities said Sunday that they had exhumed the remains of 85 Islamic State group fighters and their relatives from a mass grave in the northern city of Mosul. The remains of 35 people killed between 2016 and 2017 were dug up on Saturday while 50 were found on Sunday... -
Saudi Arabia executes 81 in a single day over terrorism
Saudi Arabia said Saturday it executed 81 people in one day on a variety of terrorism-related offenses, exceeding the total number of executions in the kingdom in the whole of last year. Of the 81 people, 73 were Saudi citizens, seven were Yemeni and one was a Syrian national. -
800 Iraqi refugees return home from Syria, more to follow
Eight hundred Iraqi refugees returned home from northeast Syria on Thursday and hundreds more are to follow, a Syrian official in the region's Kurdish semi-autonomous administration said. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the first group left on buses via the Al-Yarubiyah border crossing. The Iraqi government has "agreed... -
Iraq unveils restoration at ancient city ravaged by IS
Three monumental sculptures in the ancient city of Hatra were restored after being vandalized by the Islamic State group during their brief rule. -
Turkey attacks Kurdish targets in Iraq and Syria
Turkey has launched deadly strikes against Kurdish targets in Iraq and Syria, where Kurdish forces were still reeling from the largest Islamic State group attack in nearly three years. -
Syria fighting between Islamic State and Kurds kills 120
A fierce battle raged in Syria for a fourth day Sunday between US-backed Kurdish forces and Islamic State group fighters who have attacked a prison, killing at least 120 people including seven civilians, a war monitor said. -
Fighting erupts in Syria between IS and Kurdish forces
Fighting raged for a third day Saturday between the Islamic State group and Kurdish forces in Syria after IS attacked a prison housing jihadists, in violence that has claimed over 70 lives, a monitor said. -
Islamic State launches twin attacks in Syria and Iraq
The Islamic State group on Friday attacked a Syria prison housing fellow jihadists and a military base in Iraq in near simultaneous deadly operations that revived fears of a IS resurgence. -
Lebanon distances itself from Hezbollah remarks on Saudi Arabia
Prime Minister Najib Mikati has said the Hezbollah allegations do not reflect the official position of Lebanon. -
Iraqi minister sacks local police chief after deadly operation
The operation took place Thursday when rapid intervention units and intelligence forces sought to storm a house in the village of Al-Rashayed in the central Iraqi province. -
Christmas joy dims in Syria as only the elderly remain
The brutal occupation of the Homs province by the Islamic State group has left the local Christian community devastated. -
Syria war killed 3,700 in 2021, lowest annual toll
According to figures compiled by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, 1,505 of them were civilians and among those 360 were children. -
Morocco says it has foiled IS terror plot with US help
The Moroccan authorities also arrested an alleged supporter of the outlawed organization, saying it was ‘the culmination of close collaboration’ between Moroccan security forces and US law-enforcement. However, they did not give any further details about the operation itself. -
Erdogan signals new military push into Syria
Erdogan's signalling followed a car bombing on Monday in the northern Syrian city of Afrin that killed six people -
Iraq says it has captured Daesh finance chief
The Iraqi National Intelligence Service captured Sami Jasim outside the country after a complex operation. -
Islamic State carries out Syria gas pipeline attack
The Deir Ali station southeast of Damascus generates half of Syria's power needs -
Macron visits IS former stronghold in Iraq’s Mosul
His visit to Mosul, a melting pot of Iraq's diverse ethnic and religious communities, is seen as an opportunity to renew his support for Christians in the Middle East -
Iraq’s Mosul struggles to rebuild without funds
Mosul, the country's second city in Nineveh province, was the last major Iraqi bastion of the Islamic State group's failed "caliphate" between 2014 and 2017 -
Macron arrives at Iraq summit aimed at easing Mideast tensions
Macron warned on Saturday the Islamic State group "remains a threat." -
Dozens die in Kabul airport blasts; Islamic State claims responsibility
Islamic State struck the crowded gates of Kabul airport in a suicide bomb attack on Thursday, killing scores of civilians and at least 13 U.S. troops, disrupting the airlift of tens of thousands of Afghans desperate to flee. Hours after the twin blasts, a third explosion was reported. -
Daesh attack on funeral kills 17 in Iraq
At least 17 people, including policemen, were killed in an attack by the Islamic State group in the Salahudin province of Iraq on Friday. -
Two out of three in Syria are food-insecure, says WFP
Germany has donated €109 million ($128.73 million) to “support 4.8 million Syrians to access lifesaving food and over 600,000 children to have nutritious food through an emergency school feeding program.” -
Biden to host weakened Iraq PM amid Iran hostility
At the heart of the meeting will be the presence of US troops in Iraq and more broadly, whether Baghdad has what it takes to stand up to residual Islamic State jihadist group cells within the country's borders. -
Iraq makes arrests in deadly Baghdad-area bombing claimed by Islamic State group
The prime minister Kadhemi did not specify the number of people arrested, but a source at the interior ministry said the suspects were anticipated to make televised "confessions" -
US promises another $155-million humanitarian aid to Iraq
The additional funding from the State Department and the USAID is meant to help “the people of Iraq as well as Iraqi refugees in the region and generous communities hosting them.” -
Biden, Kadhemi meeting to focus on US troop withdrawal from Iraq
The White House talks between the two allies come just a week after a deadly attack claimed by the Islamic State group, despite Baghdad declaring the Sunni extremists defeated over three years ago -
Iraqi, Syrian presidents stress need to join hands against terrorism
Iraq President Barham Salih talked with Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad to collaborate against common problems, with stress on terrorism