Iranian, Russian ministers present united front on Syria
The foreign ministers of Russia and Iran said after talks in Moscow that their two countries have a united position on Syria, with both diplomats warning against any outside attempt…
Syria
Family says daughter raped repeatedly while held by IS
By KEN DILANIAN American hostage Kayla Mueller was repeatedly forced to have sex with Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of the Islamic State group, U.S. intelligence officials told her family…
Shelling, strikes before Iran foreign minister’s Syria visit
By BASSEM MROUE Heavy rebel shelling and government airstrikes hit around Syria’s capital Wednesday, killing at least 16 people and wounding scores more just hours before the arrival of Iranian…
Al-Qaida in Syria withdraws from area near Turkish border
Al-Qaida’s affiliate in Syria said Monday it is withdrawing from areas along the border with Turkey where Ankara and Washington hope to drive out the Islamic State group. The move…
IS top command dominated by ex-officers in Saddam’s army
By HAMZA HENDAWI and QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA While attending the Iraqi army’s artillery school nearly 20 years ago, Ali Omran remembers one major well. An Islamic hard-liner, he once chided Omran…
An IS secret to success: Shock troops who fight to the death
By HAMZA HENDAWI, QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA and BASSEM MROUE They are the Islamic State group’s elite shock troops. Fanatical and disciplined, they infiltrate cities of Iraq and Syria, unleash mayhem and…
US-led coalition doubles down on IS group strategy
By LORI HINNANT and JAMEY KEATEN The U.S.-led coalition against the Islamic State is doubling down on its strategy to fight the extremists, despite the radical group’s recent conquests on…
IS revamps recruitment, with savvy, professional broadcasts
After a selection of tunes, the presenter with an American accent offers “a glimpse at our main headlines.” IS militants have just seized three Iraqi cities. A bomb blows up…