The French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle arrived in the UAE capital Abu Dhabi on Thursday (January 21), its 2,000-strong crew taking a break from nearly two months of intensive air strikes against the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria. The jihadist group lost control of the western Iraqi city of Ramadi last month, in a sorely needed victory for Iraqi forces backed by a U.S.-led international coalition. Rear Admiral Rene-Jean Crignola, the commander […]
Tag: anti-ISIS campaign
American special forces arrive in Anbar to assist in war against I.S.
Special American forces arrived at Al Asad Airbase in Anbar on Wednesday (January 20) to aid Iraqi joint forces in the liberation of West Anbar from Islamic State. The arrival of the soldiers triggered mixed reaction from Iraqi politicians. Some were dismissive of the help, while others welcomed the arrival. “We welcome any international effort to liberate our areas and eliminate terrorism and ISIS. There is news of international forces landing at one of the […]
Iraqi minister says “blackmail” behind kidnapping of US citizens
Iraq’s defence minister said on Thursday (January 21) the three Americans who went missing in Baghdad last week had been seized by an “organised gang that carries out abductions for blackmail”. In an exclusive interview with Reuters in Cairo, Khaled al-Obaidi did not elaborate. The three men are employed by a small company that is doing work for General Dynamics Corp, under a larger contract with the U.S. Army, according to a source familiar with […]
Intensive military operations continue at Russian airbase in Syria
Military operations have been carried out continuously at Russia’s Hmeymim airbase in the Syrian city of Latakia, with the roar of aircraft a common occurrence since Russian forces arrived last September. With Mi-24 attack helicopters hovering over the airbase, fighter jets from the Sukhoi-designed fleet, including the Russian Air Force’s latest Su-34 model, have been taking off from the base to conduct airstrikes against terrorist targets in the war-stricken country. “The Russian air force has […]
Seven countries to intensify campaign against IS
U.S. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter won agreement from defense ministers from France and five other nations on Wednesday to intensify the campaign against IS militants in Iraq and Syria. A bilateral meeting was held firstly between Ashton Carter and Jean-Yves Le Drian, France’s Defense Minister, to discuss the issue before the closed-door meeting among the defense ministers from the other five countries, including the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Australia, Italy and Germany. This is the […]
Iraqi forces evacuate hundreds of terrified civilians of Ramadi
Waving white flags, civilians, mostly women and children emerged from houses in Ramadi’s eastern district of Sufiya where Iraqi government forces were still battling militants of the Islamic State holed up on Saturday (January 16). Iraq’s elite counter-terrorism forces recaptured the district on Saturday (January 16) , evacuating hundreds of residents who had been hiding for around 10 days, steering them to safety through streets mined with explosives and then providing food and drink. “We […]
Australia knocks back Washington over more help against Islamic State
Australia on Thursday (January 14) said that it had denied a request from the United States for a greater military commitment against Islamic State militants in Syria and Iraq made in the wake of the November attacks in Paris that killed 130 people. Australia, a staunch ally of the United States and its battle against Islamist militants in Iraq and Syria, has been one of the largest contributors to the U.S.-led bombing campaign against the […]
Iraq hits Islamic State targets in Anbar province
Iraq said on Monday (January 11) that its air force targeted and destroyed Islamic State targets in the provinces of Salahuddin and Anbar. A statement by the Ministry of Defence said that Iraqi fighter jets conducted air strikes against the Islamic State near and in the city of Falluja in Anbar province. The statement did not say when the air strikes were carried out, but it said that it caused Islamic State heavy losses in […]
Denmark to send 120 soldiers to fight IS in Iraq’s Anbar Province
In February, Denmark will send 120 soldiers to the west Iraqi province of Anbar to fight Islamic State (IS), along with their peers from other 30-plus countries. At the Hoeveltes Military Base, these soldiers have been getting together for training. And in a few weeks, this class will be fighting in a war zone — Anbar Province, 158 kilometers outside Baghdad and is actually inside IS-controled area. It is not far from the key city […]





