Turkey: Kurds Need to Move Eastward for Euphrates Shield Operation to End

Turkey launched on Wednesday a military operation baptized Euphrates Shield aimed at eliminating threats posed by militants of the Islamic State and Kurdish fighters from the northern Syrian town of Jarbulus close to its border. The operation has been condemned Read more

Mideast: UN Draft Report Calls for Reviving Israeli-Palestinian Direct Negotiations

A 10-page draft report on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict pointed out that both parties should “find the strength” to revive direct negotiations because the current situation is unfavorable to peace. Israel’s policy in the occupied territories “severely undermines hopes for peace” Read more

Syria: Assad Records Biggest Victory Against IS

Syrian forces have claimed that after several weeks of battle, they have taken control of the desert city of Palmyra that they lost to the Islamic State in May 2015. A military source told AFP that after heavy night fighting Read more

Mauritania: President’s assassin escapes from prison, AQMI flag found

Mauritanian authorities are on a manhunt after an Islamist militant who is awaiting execution since 2011 after being found guilty of attempting to kill President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz escaped from the Nouakchott central prison where he was being held. Read more

Syria: Rebels fight each other near central Damascus, military official “very happy”

The relative quietness of Qadam after a truce between government forces and rebels since last year was interrupted with the sounds of heavy gunfire during the weekend when militants of the Islamic State (IS) launched an attack on the rebel-held Read more