Author: Steven Sahiounie

An Iraqi security source says an unspecified number of soldiers from the US-led military coalition, which is purportedly fighting the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group, has arrived at the Ain al-Asad air base housing US and other foreign troops in the western Iraqi province of Anbar for unknown reasons. The source, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Arabic-language al-Sumaria television network that the soldiers have left their former base south of the Iraqi town of al-Qa’im, located nearly 400 kilometers northwest of the capital Baghdad and near the Syrian border, and landed at the base aboard military cargo aircraft on Monday. The source added that the soldiers are of Norwegian, Danish and American nationalities,…

The so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) says 200 Takfiri militants, whom Turkey has transported from restive areas in northern Syria to Libya to fight alongside Turkish military forces, have managed to flee from the North African country and sneak into Europe. The Britain-based war monitor, citing sources requesting anonymity, said on Monday that nearly 40 of the Takfiris were members of the Hamzat terrorist group, who are wreaking havoc in the Turkish-controlled and predominantly Kurdish town of Afrin in Syria’s northwestern province of Aleppo. The sources noted that a new batch of militants from the so-called Mu’tasim Division is going to be moved to…

Saudi Arabia has been the world’s largest arms importer over the past five years and has boosted by 130 percent its major arms imports, a study by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) shows. The results of the study, published on Monday, also showed that the Riyadh regime accounted for 12 percent of global arms imports during the period from 2015 to 2019. “Arms imports by countries in the Middle East increased by 61 per cent between 2010–14 and 2015–19, and accounted for 35 per cent of total global arms imports over the past five years. Saudi Arabia was the…

The Syrian army has discovered one of the hideouts of the leader of Jabhat al-Nusra terrorist group, formerly known as al-Nusra Front, on the outskirts of the country’s northwestern city of Aleppo. Syria’s official news agency SANA reported on Monday that Syrian Arab Army units had uncovered the hiding place of the terrorist group’s leader known as Abu Mohammad al-Jolani while patrolling the liberated areas in Aleppo’s countryside. SANA said the site, located in Anjara area 15 kilometers west of Aleppo city, was one of the lairs that Jolani used to direct terrorist attacks on the strategic city and the…

At least two US soldiers were killed in Iraq during an operation against Daesh*, Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR) said in a statement on Monday. “Two US service members were killed by enemy forces while advising and accompanying Iraqi Security Forces during a mission to eliminate an ISIS terrorist stronghold in a mountainous area of north-central Iraq, March 8,” the coalition said. The coalition did not provide further details about the incident or the enemy forces involved. “The names of the service members are withheld pending next of kin notification, in accordance with US Department of Defense policy,” it added. In…

The delegates are expected to come to the Turkish capital on Tuesday. Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said they will discuss joint patrols in Syria’s restive Idlib region, starting Sunday. A Russian military delegation will travel to Ankara this week to pressure Turkey into respecting Syria’s sovereignty, Col. Gen. Leonid Ivashov revealed on Monday. “The Russian military has a clear goal of guaranteeing Syria’s sovereignty and demanding that Turkey respect it unconditionally,” Ivashov said. He said the delegation will take a tough line in the negotiations with the Turkish military. Russia and Turkey used to be partners in political talks…

just three days after Russia brokered a ceasefire between Turkey and Syria in the wayward Syrian province of Idlib, the Turkish president threatened to take unilateral action if the ceasefire fell through. Ankara has asked NATO for additional assistance to help shore up the border with Syria, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced. “[We’ve asked for] additional NATO assistance on Syria – for the defence of the border with Syria, and in connection with the migration challenge,” Erdogan said, speaking to reporters on Monday alongside NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg. Stressing that Turkey was looking for “concrete support from all…

The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) finished Monday with its worst loss since December 2008, with the Dow Jones declining by more than 2,000 points. The collapse was spurred by an anticipated economic downturn caused by the spreading COVID-19 coronavirus and its associated quarantines, travel restrictions and decreased trade. The NYSE’s central trade indices suffered some of their worst losses in years as investors attempted to get ahead of an anticipated economic downturn caused by the spreading novel coronavirus. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 2013.76 points, suffering a 7.79% decline to 23,851.02; the S&P 500 lost 7.6% of its…

The highly anticipated drawdown of US forces in Afghanistan has begun, US Forces Afghanistan announced Monday. Washington has until July 13 to remove thousands of troops from the country, in accordance with a February 29 peace deal signed with the Taliban. “In accordance with the US-Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Joint Declaration and the US-Taliban Agreement, US Forces Afghanistan (USFOR-A) has begun its conditions-based reduction of forces to 8,600 over 135 days,” read a statement by USFOR-A spokesperson Col. Sonny Legget on Monday. “USFOR-A maintains all the military means and authorities to accomplish our objectives – including counterterrorism operations against al-Qaeda…

the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) liberated two towns in the southern Idlib countryside in what appears to be a limited ground attack. According to several sources, army troops advanced in the region in the afternoon, imposing control of Marat Makhus and Burayj. No heavy clashes were reported. Some opposition activist claimed that the two towns, which are located northwest of the town of Kafr Nabl, were a “no-man land.” However, other activists confirmed that the militants were forced to retreat from the towns following intense shelling by the SAA. The army’s ground attack may have been a response to the…