Earlier this week, the Special Air Service (SAS) mounted a raid against an Islamic State (ISIS) fortified position near the village of al-Shaafa in eastern Syria. According to the scant available information—the British Ministry of Defense (MoD) declines to comment on any… [Read more…]
Earlier this week, the Special Air Service (SAS) mounted a raid against an Islamic State (ISIS) fortified position near the village of al-Shaafa in eastern Syria. According to the scant available information—the British Ministry of Defense (MoD) declines to comment on any inquiries about the United Kingdom Special Forces (UKSF)—the SAS assault force was comprised of around 30 … [Read more…]
Al-Shabaab, Somalia largest terrorist organisation, is engaged in an economic war -- and it is the country's business sector that is getting hurt in the crossfire. Somali businessmen and local people on the ground are saying the rival Islamist groups are targeting companies, to an unprecedented degree, with demands or so-called taxes. Al-Shabaab has already strong-armed … [Read more…]
London, United Kingdom—Despite urging from the United States, the British government is reluctant to repatriate two of its citizens who were high-profile members of the Islamic State (ISIS). Alexanda Kotey and El Shafee Elsheikh were part of a four-man team responsible with high-profile executions. Nicknamed as “The Beatles” because of their British accents, the group is … [Read more…]
Paris, France—Marine Le Pen, the French far-right politician, has been ordered to see a psychiatrist after posting pictures of crimes committed by ISIS. A French court has instructed Le Pen to undergo psychiatric tests “as soon as possible” to determine whether she “is capable of understanding remarks and answering questions.” According to the ruling, the photos she posted … [Read more…]
Berlin, Germany—German politicians remain divided as to whether German forces will join the U.S.-led international coalition in Syria and Iraq. A new sense of urgency infused the political debate after the Syrian government’s 2017 and 2018 attacks against its citizen in Idlib and Douma, which killed over 70 people. “We are in talks with our American and European partners … [Read more…]
Ankara, Turkey—A British national faces jail time in a Turkish prison because he fought with the Kurdish Peshmerga against ISIS. Last year, Joe Robinson was arrested while enjoying a respite in a Turkish beach resort. At the time, the Turkish authorities used his association with the YPG, a Kurdish militant group that fights ISIS in Syria and is supported by the U.S-led … [Read more…]
London, Great Britain—The Islamic State (ISIS) is going through its final days, according to Major General Felix Gedney, the Deputy Commander of the allied coalition. Great Britain has been part of the Operation Inherent Resolve, the U.S.-led international coalition, since 2014. Operation Shader, the UK component, initially began as a humanitarian aid operation. Quickly, … [Read more…]
Now that the Islamic State has been eliminated in its conventional form and the cities of Raqqa, Syria and Mosul, Iraq have been liberated from their control, the United States Military has begun decreasing their presence on the ground. The Iraqi government officially declared victory over the Islamic State in December and has confirmed the reports. Saad al-Hadithi, a spokesman … [Read more…]
The current situation in the Middle East is really not all that different from before the Islamic State took control of huge swaths of land. Small pockets of Islamic State resistance are still in existence throughout the formerly occupied regions of Iraq and Syria. As such, it is inevitable that small attacks and minor combat operations will be occurring while the central … [Read more…]
Three years after militants from the Islamic State captured nearly a third of the nation, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has declared final victory over ISIS in a televised address to his nation on Saturday. Haider al-Abadi’s speech comes two days after Russia announced victory over the same terrorist organization in Syria, where their military has been fighting in … [Read more…]
London, England—The Royal Air Force’s campaign against ISIS is coming to an end. Operation Shader, which began in 2014, is set to conclude next year, according to the Ministry of Defence (MoD). First to depart will be the RAF’s Eurofighter Typhoon jets and GR4 Tornado fighter-bombers. RAF manned and unmanned planes have conducted around 1600 airstrikes and dropped more than … [Read more…]
The Iraqi soldier looks out across a wasteland of rubble that crumbles steeply down to the banks of the Tigris, and contemplates the last days of savage fighting against the Islamic State group. "We killed them all," he says quietly. "Daesh, men, women and children. We killed everyone." What remains of this part of Mosul's Old City, where IS militants made their last … [Read more…]
