Islamic State

US considering complete withdrawal of troops from Syria - WSJ

Around 1,000 US troops are stationed in Syria, the Wall Street Journal reported, and are mainly co-stationed with Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) troops.

Members of the Syrian security forces gather at a back of a vehicle outside al-Aqtan prison, where some Islamic State detainees are held, in Raqqa, Syria January 23, 2026.
Children and women, relatives of suspected Islamic State jihadists, walk inside Al-Hol camp in the desert region of Syria's northeastern Hasakeh province on January 21, 2026; illustrative.

US to complete transfer of Islamic State detainees from Syria to Iraq in coming days, official says

People stand near flowers laid as a tribute at Bondi Beach to honour the victims of a mass shooting that targeted a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach on Sunday, in Sydney, Australia, December 16, 2025.

Australia's Albanese: 'I am deeply and profoundly sorry' for Bondi Beach massacre

Nigerian Army soldiers patrol near the scene after a deadly gunmen attack in Yelwata, Benue State, Nigeria, June 16, 2025.

Eight Nigerian soldiers killed, up to 50 wounded, in Boko Haram attack


After SDF withdrawal, Syrian government takes control of Al-Hol, ISIS family detention camp

Experts believe Al-Hol camp represents one of the most dangerous security challenges in the region, citing repeated killings and cases of enforced disappearance.

A group of detainees gather at al-Hol camp after the Syrian government took control of it following the withdrawal of Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), in Hasaka, Syria, January 21, 2026.

Blast kills seven at Chinese-run restaurant in Afghan capital, Islamic State claims responsibility

The noodle restaurant was jointly run by a Chinese Muslim, Abdul Majid, his wife, and an Afghan partner, Abdul Jabbar Mahmood, and served the Chinese Muslim community, a police spokesperson said.

Ambulances rush along a road towards the site of an explosion in Kabul, Afghanistan, on October 15, 2025; illustrative.

US withdraws from Iraq’s Ain al-Asad Airbase, maintains presence in Kurdistan region

An initial plan for US withdrawal from the base stipulated that hundreds of troops would leave by September 2025, with the rest departing by the end of 2026.

 Military vehicles of US soldiers are seen at the al-Asad air base in Anbar province, Iraq, January 13, 2020.

Inside Iran’s uprising: Why popular protests alone can’t topple the regime - opinion

Mass protests alone won’t topple Iran’s regime; only military, religious, and security defections can transform unrest into revolution.

Iranians protest on a main street in Tehran, December 30, 2025

US conducts large-scale strikes on ISIS targets in Syria

The strikes are a continuation of Operation Hawkeye Strike, CENTCOM said, an operation that began in retaliation for an Islamic State attack that killed two US soldiers and one civilian.

A US Airman attaches a GBU-31 munitions system to an F-15E Strike Eagle in the US Central Command area of responsibility, December 19, 2025, in support of Operation Hawkeye Strike as the US military launched large-scale strikes against Islamic State targets in Syria.

Shin Bet arrests 15-year-old from northern Israel over alleged ISIS ties, planning terror attack

The Haifa District Attorney’s Office is expected to file an indictment against the minor on Thursday.

A shirt bearing ISIS insignia, found on a terrorist who attempted to carry out a terror attack in Qalandiya, the West Bank, December 7, 2024.

Three policemen, six Islamic State terrorists killed in northwest Turkey clashes

Turkish police last week detained 115 suspected Islamic State members, they said, who were planning to carry out attacks on Christmas and New Year celebrations in the country.

Turkish gendarmerie special forces team leaves the site where Turkish security forces launched an operation on a house believed to contain suspected Islamic State terrorists, in Yalova province, Turkey, December 29, 2025

US strike on ISIS in Nigeria delayed by a day as a 'Christmas present,' Trump reveals

"I said, ‘Nope, let’s give a Christmas present.’ … They didn’t think that was coming, but we hit them hard. Every camp got decimated," Trump said.

US President Donald Trump, first lady Melania Trump and Viktor Knavs, Melania Trump's father, take part in a Christmas Eve dinner in the ballroom of his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, US, December 24, 2025.

Trump orders strike on ISIS in Nigeria, wishes 'Merry Christmas to the dead terrorists'

The United States Africa Command stated that the strike in Sokoto was conducted "at the request of Nigerian authorities" and killed multiple terrorists.

US President Donald Trump makes an announcement about the Navy's "Golden Fleet", as Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth listen, at Mar-a-lago in Palm Beach, Florida, US, December 22, 2025.

Turkey detains 115 suspected Islamic State members believed planning Christmas and New Year attacks

Istanbul Police obtained information that Islamic State members had planned attacks in Turkey during Christmas and New Year celebrations, the prosecutor's office posted on X.

A member loyal to the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) waves an ISIL flag in Raqqa June 29, 2014