Middle Orient

Iraqi Sunnis look to KRG for safety as militias concerns fester

As attacks believed to be by Iran-linked armed groups continue amid questions over how long US forces will retain a presence in Iraq, Sunni Arabs are again seeking safety in the Kurdistan Region of the country. A Sept. 11 drone attack on Erbil International Airport, which flanks an air base …

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Massive displacement wave amid fears of renewed battles in Idlib

The Syrian opposition is getting ready for a possible attack by Syrian government forces in Idlib, following increasingly intense bombing and reconnaissance attacks since the beginning of September. The Syrian opposition fears renewed battles in the northwestern province of Idlib, amid escalating tension between Turkey and Russia, which has been …

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Turkey’s blind eye to jihadis worsens its predicaments in Syria

Turkey is seeking to downplay the jihadi threat that its troops face in Idlib, the last Islamist stronghold in Syria, opting to turn the spotlight to the Kurds instead. After losing three soldiers in a bomb attack in Idlib, the last bastion of Islamist rebels in Syria, Turkey pounded Syrian …

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Turkey faces gathering storm in Syria

Erdogan’s choices limited as Russian-backed Syrian forces increase attacks, weigh final assault on Idlib Erdogan’s Syrian predicament Three Turkish soldiers were killed Sept. 11 in a bomb attack in Idlib, the last stronghold of Turkish-backed and Islamist opposition in northwest Syria — and Turkey responded by hitting US-backed Kurdish groups …

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Turkey’s latest attack on PKK militant in Iraqi Kurdistan meant as show of strength

In recent months, Turkish drones have picked off a string of mid-level commanders in Iraqi Kurdistan and northeast Syria. Turkey’s latest hit job on Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) operatives in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region marks a troubling turn for the militant group, as it continues to bleed fighters in the …

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Turkey’s blind eye to jihadis worsens its predicaments in Syria

Turkey is seeking to downplay the jihadi threat that its troops face in Idlib, the last Islamist stronghold in Syria, opting to turn the spotlight to the Kurds instead. After losing three soldiers in a bomb attack in Idlib, the last bastion of Islamist rebels in Syria, Turkey pounded Syrian …

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Turkey faces gathering storm in Syria

Erdogan’s choices limited as Russian-backed Syrian forces increase attacks, weigh final assault on Idlib Three Turkish soldiers were killed Sept. 11 in a bomb attack in Idlib, the last stronghold of Turkish-backed and Islamist opposition in northwest Syria — and Turkey responded by hitting US-backed Kurdish groups in northeast Syria. …

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Turkey’s latest attack on PKK militant in Iraqi Kurdistan meant as show of strength

In recent months, Turkish drones have picked off a string of mid-level commanders in Iraqi Kurdistan and northeast Syria. Turkey’s latest hit job on Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) operatives in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region marks a troubling turn for the militant group, as it continues to bleed fighters in the …

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Assad Shores Up Control in Syria’s Symbolically Important South

For much of the Syrian civil war, the southern city of Deraa and the surrounding Houran Plains, an agricultural region near the Jordanian border, were divided between government forces and armed rebels. Fighting raged back and forth, killing thousands. It was not until Russia backed a government offensive in 2018 …

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Turkey-backed Syrian opposition groups merge under new banner

A group of factions affiliated with the Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army have formed a new alliance known as the Syrian Liberation Front intended to end the power struggle between Turkey’s allied factions in northern Syria. On Sept. 9, five factions affiliated with the Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army announced that they …

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