Islamic State group leader rallies his fighters in Mosul
By ADAM SCHRECK The shadowy leader of the Islamic State group has released a new message urging his followers to keep up the fight for Mosul as they defend the…
Sunni Islam
In battle for Iraq’s Mosul, many forces with many motives
By SUSANNAH GEORGE and LEE KEATH An unlikely array of forces is converging on the city of Mosul, lining up for a battle on the historic plains of northern Iraq…
Kerry backs Iraqi leader, no planned increase in US troops
By BRADLEY KLAPPER and SUSANNAH GEORGE U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry backed Iraq’s prime minister on Friday in his efforts to resolve a mounting political crisis, underlining the importance…
Saudi allies scale back ties with Iran as tensions soar
By ALI AKBAR DAREINI and JON GAMBRELL Allies of Saudi Arabia followed the kingdom’s lead and began scaling back diplomatic ties to Iran on Monday after the ransacking of Saudi…
After ruinous war, Syria regions may go separate ways
By ZEINA KARAM and DAN PERRY Syria has already been shattered by more than four years of civil war, and with no solution in sight, some players on the ground…
Iraq launches operation to retake Tikrit from Islamic State
By SINAN SALAHEDDIN Backed by allied Shiite, Sunni and Iranian fighters, Iraqi security forces launched a large-scale military operation Monday to recapture Saddam Hussein’s hometown from the Islamic State extremist…
In unison, Muslim clerics lash out against Islamic State
By VIVIAN SALAMA The immolation of a Jordanian pilot by the Islamic State group has brought a unified outcry Friday from top religious clerics across the Muslim world — including…
Sunni fighters expand offensive in western Iraq
By HAMZA HENDAWI and SAMEER N. YACOUB Volunteers of the newly formed “Peace Brigades” participate in a parade in the Shiite stronghold of Sadr City, Baghdad, Iraq, Saturday, June 21,…