Saudi Crown Prince, US Secretary of Defense discuss troop deployment
:: Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman received a phone call on Wednesday from the US Secretary of Defense during which they discussed ongoing arrangements to send US troops of a More »
Saudi Energy Minister confirms restoration of Kingdom’s gas production capacity
:: Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Energy confirmed on Wednesday the restoration of production capacity, affirming the Kingdom’s position as a reliable energy supplier in the global market. The energy minister, Prince Abdulaziz More »
Egypt calls Erdogan statements ‘ironic,’ accuses Turkey of sponsoring terrorism
:: Egypt’s foreign ministry spokesman, Ahmed Hafez, slammed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s statements at the UN General Assembly this week where he urged the UN to “handle the suspicious death of More »
Saudi Crown Prince: Attacks are test of int’l resolve against destructive acts
:: Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said on Wednesday that the attacks on Saudi Aramco oil facilities are a test of international resolve in the face of destructive acts that More »
Saudi Crown Prince says attacks on oil facilities are a ‘dangerous escalation’
:: Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said the recent attacks on Saudi Aramco facilities represented a “dangerous escalation not only toward the Kingdom but also the entire world.” The Crown More »
Category Archives: Iraq
40,000 displaced from Mosul as Iraqi forces near old city
More than 40,000 people have been displaced in the last week from the Iraqi city of Mosul, where U.S.-backed forces launched a fresh push towards the ISIS-held old city center on Sunday and closed in on the main government complex.
Pentagon plan calls for more US participation in attack against ISIS
The US pentagon has issued a plan for the upcoming attack on ISIS’ capital of Raqqa in Syria. According to the Washington Post, the plan calls for more US military participation, including increased Special Operations forces, helicopters, artillery and arms
Iraq to get 10-billion-pound loan for British contracts
Britain has agreed to arrange 10 billion pounds in loans to finance infrastructure projects in Iraq over a 10-year period, Iraqi Acting Finance Minister Abdul Razzak al-Essa said on Sunday. Only British companies can be contracted to carry out projects
Cousin of ISIS leader Baghdadi arrested in Iraq’s Mosul
Iraqi security forces arrested a man who is believed to be the cousin of the self-proclaimed caliph of ISIS Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in Mosul, Iraqi news outlets reported. According to Iraqi media reports, Baghdadi’s cousin – who was not named
Thousands flee Iraq’s Mosul overnight, as fighting rages on
Thousands of civilians fled Mosul overnight as Iraqi forces advanced north of a sprawling military base near the city’s airport on Friday. Iraq’s special forces pushed into the Wadi Hajar district in western Mosul and retook the area from the
Chemical weapons injure seven in Mosul
Seven people, among them five children, have been hospitalized over the past two days near Iraq’s Mosul with injuries from chemical weapons, the Red Cross said on Friday. ISIS, which holds the majority of west Mosul, has periodically used rudimentary
Up to 15,000 ISIS militants remain in Iraq and Syria
Between 12,000 and 15,000 ISIS militants remain in Iraq and Syria, a top US general said Wednesday, an indication of a significant dwindling of the militants’ forces. The US military only provides periodic updates on estimates of ISIS fighters but
Iraqi army controls main roads out of Mosul, trapping ISIS
US-backed Iraqi army units on Wednesday took control of the last major road out of western Mosul that had been in ISIS’s hands, a general and residents there said, trapping the militants in a dwindling area within the city. The
ISIS leader Al-Baghdadi acknowledges defeat in Iraq
ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi issued a statement acknowledging the group’s defeat in Iraq, as he urged supporters to either hide or flee, Iraqi television network, Alsumaria, quoted local sources as saying. According to the sources in the Iraqi governorate
UN: 8,000 flee as Iraqi forces fight ISIS in western Mosul
Since Iraqi government forces launched the push to take the western half of Mosul from ISIS last week, about 8,000 people have fled from that part of the city and surrounding villages, the UN humanitarian aid agency said Tuesday. The
Iraqi forces battling ISIS reach Mosul bridge
Iraqi forces reached one of Mosul’s five destroyed bridges on Monday as they pushed deeper into the western half of Iraq’s second largest city, driving ISIS militants back with the help of US-led airstrikes. Maj. Gen Thamir al-Hussaini said the
Iraqi police commandos recapture new neighborhood in Mosul
A senior commander says Iraqi militarized police have captured a neighborhood on the western side of Mosul amid fierce clashes with ISIS militants. Maj. Gen. Haider al-Maturi of the Federal Police Commandos Division told The Associated Press that his troops
Battle for Mosul: ISIS drone obliterates Iraqi army tank
Amaq News, which acts as a semi-official news agency for the ISIS has released a new video showing a drone striking an Iraqi tank from the air. The footage, which cannot be independently verified as of publication, proves increasing fears
Saudi FM confirms commitment to work with Iraq on counter-terrorism efforts
Saudi Arabia reiterated its commitment to working with Iraq against extremism in the region, the kingdom’s Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir said during his visit to Iraq – the first for a high official Saudi in Baghdad since 1990. Saudi Arabia
Iraqi forces facing stiff resistance in western Mosul as civilians flee
An Iraqi commander says special forces troops are progressing through western Mosul and encountering stiff resistance from entrenched ISIS fighters. Special forces Lt. Gen. Abdul-Wahab al-Saadi said Saturday that his troops are “moving very slowly” and that ISIS fighters are
ISIS kills 15 Iraqi security guards near the Jordanian border
Iraqi officials stated that 15 security guards were killed when ISIS militants attacked a border post near Trebil on the Jordanian border Friday. A border guard officer said ISIS launched the attack with explosives-laden vehicles and suicide bombers. Iraqi security
ISIS militants surrender before Iraqi military in west Mosul
Scores of ISIS militants have surrendered to Iraqi forces, according to Iraqi security sources, as cleansing operations continue west of Mosul, following the capture of the airport in Iraq’s second largest city. Lt. General Raed Shakir Jawdat, Commander of federal
Iraqi PM orders air force strike against ISIS inside Syria
Iraq’s Prime Minister Haider al-Abbadi said on Friday (Feb 24) he had given orders to the Iraqi air force to strike ISIS in positions inside Syria in retaliation to recent bomb attacks in Baghdad. “We are determined to chase terrorism