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An explosion in Damascus killed a number of policemen and civilians in what turned out to be a twin suicide bomb attack in the Syrian capital. Interior Minister Mohammed Shaar said one assailant blew himself up at the main entrance to a police station in the central Midan district. A second detonated his explosive belt […]
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September has been the deadliest month in Syria’s civil war so far this year according the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR). More than 3,300 people are said to have died in September, including 995 civilians. Of those civilian deaths, it is said about 70% were caused by Russian, Syrian government, or coalition air […]
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President Masoud Barzani has claimed the victory for ‘yes’ vote in the independence referendum as he delivered a televised speech to the nation. He called on Baghdad and neighboring countries to respect the will of millions of people who voted yes on Monday. Addressing Baghdad, he said, “There is no need to be angry and issue […]
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The Islamic State’s days are counted. The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces say they have driven ISIS militants out of 80% of the northern Syrian city of Raqqa. The SDF announced that its three-month-old assault was now in its “final stages”. Meanwhile in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, the operation to retake Hawija has begun today. […]
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Some good news out of Erbil last night as it seems Gorran has agreed in principle to reactivate the parliament after a historic trilateral meeting with the KDP and PUK on Tuesday. The three parties will have one more meeting this week to finalize a deal. On their end however, the Iraqi Parliament voted against […]
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Parliament is back! The Kurdistan Region’s High Council for the Independence Referendum approved several decisions in a meeting on Sunday, including the reactivation of the Kurdistan Regional Government’s Parliament. The Parliament is set to resume on September 14 after a two-year stalemate between opposing parties. Gorran however was not in the meeting and the parties […]
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The countdown for Tal Afar begins. Iraq’s Hashd al-Shaabi forces have liberated over a dozen villages from the Islamic State near Tal Afar as an offensive to free the city approaches. An official statement on the Shia militia’s website on Tuesday announced the fighters had taken full control over 17 villages on the southeastern outskirts […]
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Don’t forget to mark your calendars: President of the Kurdistan Region Masoud Barzani has set November 1, 2017 for parliamentary and presidential elections to be held in the Region. Barzani officially called the elections, saying the date was set in accordance with the presidential law passed by the Kurdistan legislature in 2005. The Kurdistan Region last […]
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Kim Jong-Un does not like to be ignored. US military officials have said North Korea has fired an intermediate range missile in the direction of Japan on Tuesday morning. The land-based missile was fired from near Panghyon airfield, and flew for 37 minutes before landing in the Sea of Japan. Pyongyang has increased the frequency […]
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Is Aleppo finally safe? Islamic State militants are no longer in control of the last territory they held in Aleppo province, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) on Friday said ISIS’ remaining foothold in 17 towns and villages of Aleppo province has now been reclaimed. The militants withdrew from Aleppo province after Syrian government forces […]
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