Bartalla, Iraq | AFP | Iraqi forces fought their way into jihadist-held Mosul on Tuesday, the military said, as a top commander declared the “true liberation” of the city from the Islamic State group had begun. Just over two weeks into the massive offensive to retake Mosul — IS’s last …
Read More »Gordon Brown calls for war crimes probe of Syria school strike
United Nations, United States | AFP | Former British prime minister Gordon Brown on Thursday called for a war crimes investigation of the deadly strike on a school in Syria that killed 22 children. “This is the worst assault on school children among 98 separate attacks on Syrian schools in …
Read More »The battle for Mosul: what we know
Baghdad, Iraq | AFP | Iraq launched a broad offensive to retake Mosul from the Islamic State group a week ago. Here is what we know so far about the country’s biggest military operation in years: What have Iraqi forces retaken? Federal forces operating out of the main staging base …
Read More »What to expect in the fight for Mosul
Washington, United States | AFP | The offensive to recapture Mosul from Islamic State jihadists has so far progressed faster than planners anticipated, but military experts fear the fighting could get tougher as US-backed Iraqi forces enter the city. Here is an overview of some factors determining the size and …
Read More »Arms deals with Europe, Israel fuel South Sudan war
United Nations, United States | AFP | A UN panel of experts has found evidence of “well-established networks” of arms suppliers in Eastern Europe and the Middle East that are fueling the war in South Sudan. In a confidential report to the Security Council obtained by AFP on Thursday, the …
Read More »Outline of forces operating in Iraq’s Mosul theatre
Baghdad, Iraq | AFP | A wide array of Iraqi and international forces are involved in the fight to retake Mosul from the Islamic State jihadist group, which overran the country’s second city in 2014. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced the launch of the much-awaited operation on Monday and anti-IS …
Read More »UNESCO adopts controversial Jerusalem resolution
Paris, France | AFP | The UN cultural agency on Tuesday adopted a controversial Arab-sponsored resolution condemning Israel’s actions at a flashpoint holy site in east Jerusalem that has sparked fury in the Jewish state. The UNESCO resolution on “occupied Palestine” was drafted by Algeria, Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Qatar …
Read More »Libya: Five restive years after Gaddafi
Tripoli, Libya | AFP | Five years after Libyan strongman Moamer Gaddafi was captured and killed, the country remains unstable, with political and military rivalries sabotaging a viable state and the fight against Islamic State group jihadists. Following are key markers in the oil-rich North African country’s bid to become a …
Read More »Retaking Iraq’s Mosul: a complex offensive
Paris, France | AFP | A complex offensive is taking place to recapture Mosul, the Islamic State group’s last major stronghold in Iraq and the country’s second city. Questions of timing Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced Monday that operations to liberate Mosul had begun after already calling an operation to …
Read More »Turkey’s Erdogan to Iraqi PM: ‘Know your place’
Istanbul, Turkey | AFP | Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday snubbed Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi’s criticism of the presence of Turkish troops in Iraq ahead of a planned operation to retake Mosul city, urging him to “know your place”. “He is insulting me personally. You are not …
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