Bassem Mroue, The Associated Press


  • US-backed Syrian force expects Raqqa victory in ‘a few days’
    US-backed Syrian force expects Raqqa victory in ‘a few days’

    A U.S.-backed Kurdish-led force battling the Islamic State group in Syria will be in control of Raqqa “within a few days” after attacking the last militant-held pocket of the city, a spokesman for the force said Monday.

  • US-allied forces begin final assault on ISIS in Syria’s Raqqa
    US-allied forces begin final assault on ISIS in Syria’s Raqqa

    U.S.-backed Syrian fighters launched an operation to retake the last Islamic State-held pocket of the northern city of Raqqa on Sunday.

  • US-backed Syrian fighters preparing for final push in Raqqa
    US-backed Syrian fighters preparing for final push in Raqqa

    U.S.-backed fighters in northern Syria are preparing for a final offensive on neighborhoods still held by the Islamic State group in the city of Raqqa, a spokesman for the group said Monday. A U.S. official affirmed that the battle for Raqqa is now approaching its last phase.

  • Turkey’s president announces operation in Syria’s Idlib
    Turkey’s president announces operation in Syria’s Idlib

    Turkey’s president announced Saturday that the country has launched a “serious” operation in Syria’s northwestern Idlib province with Turkey-backed Syrian opposition forces, following international efforts for de-escalation in the war-torn country.

  • Iraq says it has retaken northern town from Islamic State group
    Iraq says it has retaken northern town from Islamic State group

    Iraq’s prime minister said Thursday that troops have retaken the northern town of Hawija from the Islamic State group, driving the extremists from one of their last strongholds in the country.

  • Airstrikes on ISIS-held areas in Syria kill and wound dozens
    Airstrikes on ISIS-held areas in Syria kill and wound dozens

    Airstrikes on villages and towns held by the Islamic State group in eastern Syria have killed and wounded dozens a day after an attack by the extremists killed more than 120 pro-government fighters and briefly cut off the highway linking the capital Damascus with eastern Syria, opposition activists said Saturday.

  • ISIS stages surprise attack on Syrian government-held village
    ISIS stages surprise attack on Syrian government-held village

    Islamic State militants on Thursday attacked a village in eastern Syria recently captured by government forces, threatening to cut the main highway linking the capital, Damascus, with the city of Deir el-Zour, Syrian opposition activists said.

  • Syrian troops breach 3-year IS siege on eastern city
    Syrian troops breach 3-year IS siege on eastern city

    Syrian troops and allied forces reached the eastern city of Deir el-Zour on Tuesday, breaching a three-year-old Islamic State siege on parts of the contested city near the Iraqi border, Syrian state TV and a war monitoring group said.

  • Syrian troops close to breaking IS siege in eastern city
    Syrian troops close to breaking IS siege in eastern city

    Syrian government forces and their allies are on the verge of breaking a nearly three-year siege imposed by the Islamic State group on parts of the eastern city of Deir el-Zour, opposition activists and state media said Monday.

  • Syrian officer: Anti-ISIS fight near Lebanon border soon over
    Syrian officer: Anti-ISIS fight near Lebanon border soon over

    The battle against the Islamic State group in an area along the Lebanon-Syria will end within hours, a Syrian army officer said Thursday as the extremists faced news setbacks in the two neighboring countries.