BREAKING NEWS
US airstrikes target multiple sites in Syria, killing up to 35 Islamic State militants
Read full article: US airstrikes target multiple sites in Syria, killing up to 35 Islamic State militantsU.S. Central Command says the U.S. military has struck a number of Islamic State group camps in central Syria, killing as many as 35 militants.
German leader vows tougher knife laws and more deportations after fatal attack in Solingen
Read full article: German leader vows tougher knife laws and more deportations after fatal attack in SolingenGerman Chancellor Olaf Scholz has vowed to toughen knife laws and step up deportations of rejected asylum-seekers as he visited the scene of the knife attack in which a suspected Islamic extremist from Syria is accused of killing three people.
She became a mother after Islamic State captivity. A decade on, Yazidi community shuns her children
Read full article: She became a mother after Islamic State captivity. A decade on, Yazidi community shuns her childrenAs the 10th anniversary of the Islamic State group's atrocities against Iraq's Yazidis approaches, a traumatized community is still in many ways convulsed by the legacy of the militants' onslaught.
US airstrike targeting al-Qaida leader in Syria killed a farmer, American military says
Read full article: US airstrike targeting al-Qaida leader in Syria killed a farmer, American military saysThe U.S. military said an airstrike in Syria in May 2023 that was targeting an al-Qaida leader killed an innocent civilian instead.
IS militants kill at least 18 people in an attack on villagers collecting truffles in eastern Syria
Read full article: IS militants kill at least 18 people in an attack on villagers collecting truffles in eastern SyriaSyria's activists and pro-government media say Islamic State militants have killed at least 18 people in an attack on villagers collecting truffles in eastern Syria.
A look at events surrounding the devastating earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria a year ago
Read full article: A look at events surrounding the devastating earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria a year agoA year after the devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck southern Turkey and northwestern Syria, a massive rebuilding effort is still trudging along.
US blames group of Iran-backed militias for deadly drone attack in Jordan as it weighs reprisals
Read full article: US blames group of Iran-backed militias for deadly drone attack in Jordan as it weighs reprisalsThe United States has attributed the drone attack that killed three U.S. service members in Jordan to the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of Iran-backed militias that includes the militant group Kataib Hezbollah.
How to strike back after deadly drone attack? US has many options, but must weigh consequences
Read full article: How to strike back after deadly drone attack? US has many options, but must weigh consequencesPresident Joe Biden has made it clear the U.S. will strike back after a deadly drone attack killed three service members and wounded more than 40 at a small base in Jordan over the weekend.
Enemy drone that killed US troops in Jordan was mistaken for a US drone, preliminary report suggests
Read full article: Enemy drone that killed US troops in Jordan was mistaken for a US drone, preliminary report suggestsAn enemy drone that killed three American troops and wounded dozens of others in Jordan may have been confused with an American drone returning to the U.S. installation.
As US brings home large numbers of jailed Americans, some families are still waiting for their turn
Read full article: As US brings home large numbers of jailed Americans, some families are still waiting for their turnThe Biden administration has had notable success in the past couple of years in bringing home Americans who are wrongfully detained by foreign governments.
US targets Iraqi airline Fly Baghdad, its CEO and Hamas cryptocurrency financiers for sanctions
Read full article: US targets Iraqi airline Fly Baghdad, its CEO and Hamas cryptocurrency financiers for sanctionsIraqi airline Fly Baghdad is denying U.S. allegations that have resulted in it being hit with sanctions from the Treasury Department.
Iran strikes targets in northern Iraq and Syria as regional tensions escalate
Read full article: Iran strikes targets in northern Iraq and Syria as regional tensions escalateIran says it fired missiles at what it claimed were Israeli “spy headquarters” near the U.S. Consulate in the northern Iraqi city of Irbil, and at targets linked to the extremist group Islamic State in northern Syria.
Iran holds funeral for a general who was killed by an alleged Israeli airstrike in Syria
Read full article: Iran holds funeral for a general who was killed by an alleged Israeli airstrike in SyriaIran has held a funeral for a high-ranking general of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard who was killed by an alleged Israeli airstrike in Syria.
A rocket attack targets the US Embassy in Baghdad, causing minor damage but no casualties
Read full article: A rocket attack targets the US Embassy in Baghdad, causing minor damage but no casualtiesU.S. and Iraqi officials say a rocket attack at the sprawling U.S. Embassy in Baghdad has caused minor damage but no casualties.
Who are the Houthis and why hasn’t the US retaliated for their attacks on ships in the Middle East?
Read full article: Who are the Houthis and why hasn’t the US retaliated for their attacks on ships in the Middle East?When Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen launched missiles and hit three commercial ships in the Red Sea, it triggered an immediate question: Will the U.S. military strike back.
Members of global chemical weapons watchdog vote to keep Syria from getting poison gas materials
Read full article: Members of global chemical weapons watchdog vote to keep Syria from getting poison gas materialsThe annual meeting of members of the global chemical weapons watchdog has called on countries to prevent the sale or transfer to Syria of raw materials and equipment that could be used to create poison gas and nerve agents.
How the US strikes a delicate balance in responding to attacks on its forces by Iran-backed militias
Read full article: How the US strikes a delicate balance in responding to attacks on its forces by Iran-backed militiasThe Biden administration is balancing efforts to deter militants in the Middle East without triggering a broader regional conflict.
US sanctions Iran-backed militia members in Iraq conducting strikes against American forces
Read full article: US sanctions Iran-backed militia members in Iraq conducting strikes against American forcesThe U.S. has imposed sanctions on six people affiliated with the Iranian-backed Iraqi militia Kataeb Hezbollah, which is accused of being behind a spate of recent attacks against U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria following the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas against Israel.
US conducts airstrikes against Iran-backed groups in Syria, retaliating for attacks on US troops
Read full article: US conducts airstrikes against Iran-backed groups in Syria, retaliating for attacks on US troopsThe Pentagon and U.S. officials say U.S. fighter aircraft have conducted airstrikes on locations in eastern Syria involving Iranian-backed groups, likely causing casualties and destroying weapons stored at the two targets struck — a training location and a safe house.
Leader of Lebanon's Hezbollah holds talks with senior Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad figures
Read full article: Leader of Lebanon's Hezbollah holds talks with senior Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad figuresThe leader of Lebanon’s Hezbollah group has met with top Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad officials.
Top US Air Force official in Mideast worries about possible Russia-Iran 'cooperation and collusion'
Read full article: Top US Air Force official in Mideast worries about possible Russia-Iran 'cooperation and collusion'Iran’s supplying of bomb-carrying drones to Russia could see Moscow help Tehran’s program become more lethal, raising risks across the wider Middle East.
What we know — and don't know — about the crash of a Russian mercenary's plane
Read full article: What we know — and don't know — about the crash of a Russian mercenary's planeThe head of a Russian mercenary group who launched a rebellion against Moscow’s military leadership in June is presumed dead after a mysterious plane crash.
Netherlands and Belgium join international probe into crimes against Yazidis in Syria and Iraq
Read full article: Netherlands and Belgium join international probe into crimes against Yazidis in Syria and IraqThe European Union’s judicial cooperation agency says the Netherlands and Belgium have joined an international investigation into atrocities committed against the Yazidi minority in Syria and Iraq.
U.S. military, Iran-backed militias clash in Syria after drone kills U.S. contractor
Read full article: U.S. military, Iran-backed militias clash in Syria after drone kills U.S. contractorPresident Joe Biden warned Iran on Friday that attacks on U.S. troops will be met with force. Iran, a Russian ally, has been on the opposing side of the U.S. efforts in Ukraine and Syria.
Syria's Aleppo airport resumes flights days after airstrike
Read full article: Syria's Aleppo airport resumes flights days after airstrikeThe head of Syria's civil aviation says flights at the international airport in Aleppo have resumed, three days after it was put out of service by a suspected Israeli airstrike.
Earthquake takeaways: Hope fading in frigid Turkey, Syria
Read full article: Earthquake takeaways: Hope fading in frigid Turkey, SyriaThe search for survivors of the earthquake that toppled thousands of buildings in Turkey and Syria has reached a critical stretch, with rescue teams from two dozen countries helping locals sift through the rubble and experts warning that the realistic window to find any in the frigid temperatures is quickly closing.
Survivors scream as desperate rescuers work in Turkey, Syria
Read full article: Survivors scream as desperate rescuers work in Turkey, SyriaRescuers called out, “Slowly, slowly,” as they lifted a man inch by inch from between slabs of collapsed concrete Monday in the Turkish province that was the epicenter of a devastating earthquake.
Job: 'Sniper': Accused Islamic State fighter on trial in US
Read full article: Job: 'Sniper': Accused Islamic State fighter on trial in USThe ongoing trial of a U.S. citizen charged with serving as a sniper and weapons trainer for the Islamic State group is a reminder of the enduring and far-reaching fallout of a war that drew tens of thousands of foreign fighters to Syria and Iraq.
Merkel wins UN refugee agency award over welcome of Syrians
Read full article: Merkel wins UN refugee agency award over welcome of SyriansThe U.N. refugee agency says it’s giving its highest award to former German Chancellor Angela Merkel for her efforts to accept more than 1 million refugees — mostly from Syria — into Germany, despite some criticism both at home and abroad.
US, others say Africa has become main target of IS group
Read full article: US, others say Africa has become main target of IS groupA senior U.S. official and other members of the global coalition fighting the Islamic State group have warned that the African continent is now the main target of the extremist group.
US sanctions alleged IS child trafficking financiers
Read full article: US sanctions alleged IS child trafficking financiersThe U.S. announced Monday it is imposing financial penalties on five people accused of fundraising for the Islamic State group and using the funds to help traffic children to serve as fighters for the organization.
Americans bring 'souvenir' artillery shell to Israel airport
Read full article: Americans bring 'souvenir' artillery shell to Israel airportA bomb scare set off scenes of panic at Israel’s airport after an American family showed up with an unexploded artillery shell they had found in the Golan Heights.
US military changes explanation of attack on base in Syria
Read full article: US military changes explanation of attack on base in SyriaThe U.S. military says explosions earlier this month on a base in eastern Syria that injured several U.S. service members were not, as it originally reported, caused by artillery or another form of indirect fire.
UN: 6.5 million people displaced inside Ukraine due to war
Read full article: UN: 6.5 million people displaced inside Ukraine due to warThe U.N. migration agency estimates that nearly 6.5 million people have now been displaced inside Ukraine, on top of the 3.2 million refugees who have already fled the country.
Iran claims missile barrage near US consulate in Iraq
Read full article: Iran claims missile barrage near US consulate in IraqIran has claimed responsibility for a missile barrage that struck near a sprawling U.S. consulate complex in the northern Iraqi city of Irbil, saying it was retaliation for an Israeli strike in Syria that killed two members of its Revolutionary Guard.
US military coalition in Syria takes out rocket launch sites
Read full article: US military coalition in Syria takes out rocket launch sitesOfficials say the U.S. led-coalition in Syria struck several launch sites for short-range rockets believed to be intended for attacks on an installation used by U.S. troops in eastern Syria.
UN chief: World faces a `hurricane of humanitarian crises'
Read full article: UN chief: World faces a `hurricane of humanitarian crises'The United Nations chief is warning that a “hurricane of humanitarian crises” around the world has left civilians in conflict areas paying the highest price and is compounded by a relentless wave of attacks on humanitarian and medical workers.
Iraqi militia commander vows to avenge deaths in US strike
Read full article: Iraqi militia commander vows to avenge deaths in US strikeThe leader of an Iran-backed Iraqi militia has vowed to retaliate against America for the deaths of four of his men in a U.S. airstrike along the Iraq-Syria border last month.
DeSantis signs bills aimed at combating influence from ‘foreign adversaries’
Read full article: DeSantis signs bills aimed at combating influence from ‘foreign adversaries’Gov. Ron DeSantis signed two bills Monday morning aimed at combating foreign influence in the U.S. from seven specific countries including China, Cuba, Russia, Iran, Syria, Venezuela and North Korea.
US commander says more work needed to counter small drones
Read full article: US commander says more work needed to counter small dronesThe top U.S. commander for the Middle East says finding better ways to counter attacks by small drones across the region is a top priority and that the U.S. is still behind the curve on solutions.
Israel suspects Iran connection to Mediterranean oil spill
Read full article: Israel suspects Iran connection to Mediterranean oil spillA dog smells pieces of tar from an oil spill in the Mediterranean Sea, on a beach in the Gdor Nature Reserve near Michmoret, Israel, Monday, March 1, 2021. The cleanup from the disastrous oil spill that has blackened most of the country's shoreline is expected to take months. Over 90% of Israel’s 195 kilometer (120-mile) Mediterranean coastline was covered in more than 1,000 tons of black tar, the result of the mysterious oil spill in international waters. Iranian oil tankers increasingly have been accused of smuggling oil out of the country and selling the lucrative crude abroad after then-President Donald Trump withdrew from Tehran’s nuclear deal with world powers nearly three years ago. Israel's Environmental Protection Ministry had kept the particulars of its investigation into the incident under close guard and obtained a court issued gag-order on all details about the case.
US bombs facilities in Syria used by Iran-backed militia
Read full article: US bombs facilities in Syria used by Iran-backed militiaWASHINGTON – The United States launched airstrikes in Syria on Thursday, targeting facilities near the Iraqi border used by Iranian-backed militia groups. The Pentagon said the strikes were retaliation for a rocket attack in Iraq earlier this month that killed one civilian contractor and wounded a U.S. service member and other coalition troops. Officials have noted that in the past, Iranian-backed Shiite militia groups have been responsible for numerous rocket attacks that targeted U.S. personnel or facilities in Iraq. A week later, a rocket attack in Baghdad's Green Zone appeared to target the U.S. Embassy compound, but no one was hurt. The December 2019 killing of a U.S. civilian contractor in a rocket attack in Kirkuk sparked a tit-for-tat fight on Iraqi soil that brought the country to the brink of a proxy war.
Charity rescue ship with 265 migrants anchors off Italy
Read full article: Charity rescue ship with 265 migrants anchors off ItalyMigrants from Eritrea, Egypt, Syria and Sudan, rest on board the Spanish NGO Open Arms vessel after having been rescued in the Mediterranean sea, about 110 miles north of Libya, on Saturday, Jan. 2, 2021. (AP Photo/Joan Mateu)ROME – Italy allowed a Spanish-flagged charity ship with 265 rescued migrants aboard to anchor off Sicily on Monday. The Open Arms vessel had brought the migrants safely aboard in separate rescues last week in the central Mediterranean. Open Arms said 96 of those rescued had been adrift two days in a wooden boat without life vests in international waters. In an earlier, separate operation, Open Arms had taken aboard 169 migrants, who had departed Libyan shores, where many human traffickers are based.
Spanish-flagged boat rescues 265 migrants in Mediterranean
Read full article: Spanish-flagged boat rescues 265 migrants in MediterraneanMigrants from Eritrea, Egypt, Syria and Sudan, are assisted by aid workers of the Spanish NGO Open Arms, after fleeing Libya on board a precarious wooden boat in the Mediterranean sea, about 110 miles north of Libya, on Saturday, Jan. 2, 2021. (AP Photo/Joan Mateu)ROME – A Spanish-flagged humanitarian ship on Sunday was seeking a port of safety for 265 migrants its crew rescued from the Mediterranean Sea in the last few days. The Open Arms charity tweeted that its vessel on Saturday had safely brought aboard 96 migrants who had been adrift in a wooden boat with without life vests in international waters. In a separate operation two days before that rescue, Open Arms took aboard 169 migrants, who had departed Libyan shores, where many human traffickers are based. The traffickers launch vessels, many of them flimsy rubber dinghies or rickety fishing boats, crowded with migrants who hope to reach European shores to seek asylum.
20 migrants dead off Tunisia after boat sinks, more missing
Read full article: 20 migrants dead off Tunisia after boat sinks, more missingTunisian authorities say 20 African migrants have been found dead after their boat, which was trying to reach Europe, sank in the Mediterranean Sea. Five survivors were rescued Thursday, Dec. 24, 2020 and authorities are searching for up to 20 others believed missing. (AP Photo/Santi Palacios, File)TUNIS – About 20 African migrants were found dead Thursday after their smuggling boat sank in the Mediterranean Sea while trying to reach Europe, Tunisian authorities said. Five survivors were rescued and the Tunisian navy is searching for up to 20 others still believed missing. According to survivors, the migrant smuggling boat was carrying about 40 or 50 people heading toward Italy, Ben Zekri said.
French court convicts IS operative over foiled train attack
Read full article: French court convicts IS operative over foiled train attack(AP Photo, File)PARIS – A French court on Thursday convicted an Islamic State operative over a train attack five years ago that was foiled with the dramatic intervention of three American passengers. The special terrorism court sentenced Morocco-born Ayoub El Khazzani to life in prison, with 22 years guaranteed behind bars. The train attack was allegedly organized by Abdelhamid Abaaoud, portrayed as the coordinator of the November 2015 attacks in Paris. He told the court that Abaaoud concocted the plan for the train attack and he followed it to the letter — until he changed his mind. The court convicted Bilal Chatra and Mohamed Bakkali of complicity and sentenced them to prison terms of 27 years and 25 years, respectively.
IS widow convicted in Charlie Hebdo, kosher market attacks
Read full article: IS widow convicted in Charlie Hebdo, kosher market attacksFILE - In this Jan. 7, 2015, file photo, an injured person is transported to an ambulance after a shooting at the French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo's office in Paris, France. The verdict ends the three-month trial linked to the three days of killings across Paris claimed jointly by the Islamic State group and al-Qaida. Patrick Klugman, a lawyer for the survivors of the market attack, said the verdict sent a message to sympathizers. The Jan. 7-9, 2015, attacks in Paris left 17 dead along with the three gunmen. Boumeddiene, the only woman on trial, fled to Syria days before the attack and appeared in Islamic State propaganda.
US general says IS in Iraq and Syria still long-term threat
Read full article: US general says IS in Iraq and Syria still long-term threatHe said a solution must come from a joint effort by diplomatic, security and humanitarian organizations. The U.S. also has about 3,000 troops still in Iraq; on Tuesday the Pentagon announced that Trump had ordered a drawdown to 2,500 in Iraq with no change for Syria. Trump has pushed for the repatriation of foreign fighters in Syria, but their home countries have largely refused to take them back. In the short run, McKenzie said, IS is in no position to pose a major security threat to the United States. The al-Qaida extremist group and like-minded militants also are severely hobbled but not eliminated, he said.
Trump aide promises 'very professional transition' to Biden
Read full article: Trump aide promises 'very professional transition' to BidenDUBAI – President Donald Trump's national security adviser promised a “very professional transition” to the administration of President-elect Joe Biden in an interview broadcast Monday, even as Trump continues to falsely claim he won the November election. “If the Biden-Harris ticket is determined to be the winner — obviously things look that way now — we'll have a very professional transition from the National Security Council. The federal Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency also says: “The November 3rd election was the most secure in American history.”O'Brien, Trump's fourth national security adviser, previously served as his special envoy on hostage affairs. A top Lebanese security official said Saturday that he visited Syria for two days to speak with officials there about Tice. However, there's been no public sign of tensions easing between Doha and Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
Trial in France for extremist foiled by 3 Americans on train
Read full article: Trial in France for extremist foiled by 3 Americans on trainEl Khazzani, a 31-year-old Moroccan, spent several months in Syria and boarded the train in Brussels armed to the hilt, authorities say. The man considered the likely mastermind of those attacks, Abdel Hamid Abaaoud, was the behind-the-scenes force in the train attack, planned in Syria, according to the prosecution. The train attacker, El Khazzani, “knowingly followed Abaaoud, but it’s been years since he was in a jihadi mindset,” his lawyer, Sarah Mauger-Poliak, said in a phone interview. El Khazzani bought a train ticket at the Brussels station on Aug. 21, 2015 for a 5:13 p.m. departure. El Khazzani told investigators that Abaaoud wanted him to kill only the American military men, a line he was likely to maintain during the trial.
Man sentenced to life after failed French church bombing
Read full article: Man sentenced to life after failed French church bombingLYON – A Paris criminal court sentenced a 29-year-old Algerian man Thursday to life in prison for killing a woman and trying to bomb a church near the French capital in a failed 2015 attack that investigators said was plotted by Islamic State group extremists in Syria. He expressed regret over choosing that path, but denied killing the woman outside the church in the Paris suburb of Villejuif. Seven other defendants found to have helped him in the attack were sentenced to between three and 30 years in prison. The Paris court also convicted in absentia two operatives who were accused of orchestrating the attack, Abdelnasser Benyoucef and Samir Nouad, and sentenced them to life in prison. Another French terrorist trial is opening later this month, involving an attempted IS attack on a high-speed Amsterdam-to-Paris train.
Italy seizes 14 tons of amphetamines, said to be IS-made
Read full article: Italy seizes 14 tons of amphetamines, said to be IS-madeThis image taken from a video shows amphetamines pills that were seized at the Salerno harbor, southern Italy, Wednesday, July 1, 2020.Italian police have seized 14 tons of amphetamines, allegedly produced in Syria by Islamic State group to fund terrorist activities and destined for the European illegal drug market. Customs Police Col. Domenico Napolitano on Wednesday called the discovery of three shipping containers crammed with some 85 million pills, in the southern port of Salerno, the biggest amphetamine seizure ever made worldwide. (Guardia di Finanza via AP)ROME Italian police have seized 14 tons of amphetamines, allegedly produced in Syria by the Islamic State group to fund extremist activities and destined for the European illegal drug market. The amphetamines were labeled captagon, the street name for a drug whose chemical base is fenethylline. The 14 tons of amphetamines would have raked in about 1 billion euros ($1.15 billion) in street sales had they ultimately made it to consumers, customs police said.
Syria donors gather as virus, economic chaos deepen crisis
Read full article: Syria donors gather as virus, economic chaos deepen crisisEuropean Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell waits for the start of a meeting, Supporting the future of Syria and the Region, in videoconference format at the European Council building in Brussels, Tuesday, June 30, 2020. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo, Pool)
ISIS preys on domestic workers in Hong Kong, Singapore
Read full article: ISIS preys on domestic workers in Hong Kong, SingaporeISIS Propaganda via CNN(CNN) - For six days a week, the three women worked as domestic workers in homes across Singapore. Often, it is a two-way street: the domestic workers might take the first step by reaching out to militants. Other radicalized domestic workers take on a more active role, becoming financiers, recruiters and coordinators. Of the 50 radicalized domestic workers identified by IPAC, at least 12 had attempted to reach Syria via Hong Kong, as of June 2017. Keeping a close watchThe recruitment of domestic workers in Hong Kong and Singapore has not gone unnoticed.
President Trump: ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is dead
Read full article: President Trump: ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is dead(CNN) - President Donald Trump declared Sunday morning that ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was dead after a US military raid in northwest Syria over the weekend. "Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is dead," Trump said at the White House, calling the ISIS leader's removal "the top national security priority of my administration." The President said a US special operations forces mission went after the ISIS leader and there were no US deaths during the operation. Esper described the death of the ISIS leader as a "devastating blow" to ISIS. The CIA assisted in locating the ISIS leader, the defense official said.
Trump sanctions Turkey over bloodshed in Syria
Read full article: Trump sanctions Turkey over bloodshed in SyriaPresident Donald Trump has slapped Turkey with punishing sanctions over its military invasion of northern Syria. Distributed by LAKANA. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Trump threatens to 'obliterate' Turkey's economy over ISIS
Read full article: Trump threatens to 'obliterate' Turkey's economy over ISIS(CNN) - President Donald Trump threatened to "obliterate" Turkey's economy if the country does anything he considers to be off limits pertaining to ISIS, as the country prepares to execute an operation without US support in northern Syria. "They must, with Europe and others, watch over the captured ISIS fighters and families. The US has done far more than anyone could have ever expected, including the capture of 100% of the ISIS Caliphate." The threat comes after the White House released a readout of a call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The Defense Department made it clear in a statement Tuesday that the Pentagon does not endorse the Turkish operation in Northern Syria and the US will not be involved in the operation.
US, Turkish troops conduct first joint ground patrol of 'safe zone'
Read full article: US, Turkish troops conduct first joint ground patrol of 'safe zone'Gabriel Chaim for CNN(CNN) - US and Turkish troops conducted their first ever joint ground patrol within what Turkey has called the "safe zone" that runs along the Syria-Turkish border and extends into the northeast. The operation is aimed at creating a buffer zone that will keep US-backed Kurdish militia -- the People's Protection Units (YPG) -- away from Turkey's border. "Today's patrol maintained security within the area and demonstrates our continued commitment to address Turkey's legitimate security concerns," said US Army spokesman Col. Myles B. Caggins. Caggins said during the operations Turkish officers documented that the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) had withdrawn their troops from the designated area and had removed a series of some defensive fortifications. The joint patrol follows earlier aerial surveillance flights and the establishment of a joint operations center.
Iranian oil tanker at center of UK standoff leaves Gibraltar
Read full article: Iranian oil tanker at center of UK standoff leaves GibraltarThe Adrian Darya, formerly known as the Grace 1, set sail under an Iranian flag for an unknown destination. With the arrival of two engineering teams from two separate locations, the tanker is expected to depart Gibraltar tonight," Iran's ambassador to the UK, Hamid Baeidinejad, said earlier in the day via Twitter. It was seized July 4 in territorial waters of Gibraltar, a British overseas territory on the edge of southern Spain. The Adrian Darya's owner said the released Iranian tanker would head to the Mediterranean, Iran's semi-official Mehr News Agency, citing Iranian Maritime official Jalil Eslami, reported last week. The US also got involved in the standoff when the Justice Department applied to extend the Iranian tanker's seizure and block its release.
US makes last-ditch attempt to stop Iranian supertanker setting sail
Read full article: US makes last-ditch attempt to stop Iranian supertanker setting sailGIBRALTAR - The United States has unsealed a warrant for the seizure of an Iranian oil tanker anchored off the coast of Gibraltar. It is the latest twist involving the vessel at the center of a standoff between Tehran and the West. The warrant comes just a day after a judge in Gibraltar said the Grace 1 supertanker -- which is reportedly carrying 2.1 million barrels of oil -- was free to set sail. Friday's warrant from the US Justice Department appears to be a last-ditch attempt to stop the tanker setting sail, after it failed to stop Gibraltar's Supreme Court approving its release on Thursday. For now, the tanker remains in Gibraltar waters as it awaits a new captain and a number of crew members, Fars added.
US moves to block release of Iranian tanker detained in Gibraltar
Read full article: US moves to block release of Iranian tanker detained in GibraltarGIBRALTAR - The US Department of Justice has made a last-minute application to block the release of the Iranian oil tanker Grace 1, which was seized by authorities in Gibraltar last month, a spokesman for the Gibraltar attorney general told CNN. Gibraltar attorney general Joseph Triay revealed the application had been made at a short hearing at the Supreme Court on Thursday morning. The Gibraltar Chronicle reported that a judge in the hearing said the ship would have been freed were it not for the US intervention. The matter will return to the Supreme Court of Gibraltar at 4:00 p.m. today," the Gibraltar government said in a statement. Nearly a month later, the tanker -- and its crew -- remain detained in Iran.