Taliban have absorbed former fighters from various terrorist groups into their local security forces to draw on their combat experience, a United Nations sanctions monitoring report says, warning that the practice raises concerns about infiltration and ideological alignment within their ranks. In its latest comprehensive report covering developments through Dec. …

Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler said talks with the United States over integrating the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) into the Syrian army are still ongoing, stressing that integration is inevitable. Answering journalists’ questions on Saturday, 20 December 2025, during the ministry’s annual end of year activities evaluation meeting, Guler said …

JERUSALEM—Israel’s government is privately pressing President Donald Trump’s administration to set a deadline for international troops to disarm Hamas in the Gaza Strip, according to three Israeli officials who spoke on condition of anonymity. Israeli leaders expect the International Stabilization Force to begin deploying to Gaza early next year as …