Eight people in eastern Syria lost their lives during an U.S.-led coalition airstrike targeting a gas distribution facility located in an Islamic State controlled Syrian town. The airstrike had targeted the distribution station located in Khasham, a town in the oil-rich province of Deir el-Zour and took place on Friday night according to activist’s accounts. The Deir el-Zour Free radio named four … [Read more...]
U.S. –Led Airstrikes Kill Hundreds of ISIS Militants
Airstrikes conducted by the United States military on Wednesday allegedly killed several hundred Islamic State fighters gathered around Ayn Al-Arab, the Syrian border town which has been under siege for weeks. Despite the airstrikes the Pentagon announced that the city of Kobani could still fall to the Sunni extremists. During the last two days, the U.S.-led coalition has prepared and conducted … [Read more...]
Middle East Situation Escalates as Turkey Bombs Kurdish Militants
As Islamic State militants continue their siege of Kobani, Turkey’s 15-million-strong Kurdish minority angrily accused the government of refusing to aid Syrian civilians in defending Ayn Al-Arab. During riots last week, at least 35 people were killed. Currently, the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) leader is threatening to call off discussions meant to end an insurgency spanning across more than a … [Read more...]
ISIS Advancing on Kobani, Kurds Fear City is Lost
Kurdish forces in Syria fought valiantly on Tuesday as Islamic State militants continued their siege on Kobani, the city near the Turkish border that has been under attack for the previous weeks. Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey’s president, announced that the Syrian town was about to fall although the United States and their allies continued airstrikes on the extremists. Mr. Erdogan explained that … [Read more...]
Islamic State Advances on Syrian Town as Refugees Pour into Turkey
While the United Nations had estimated the number of Syrian Kurds that had fled into neighboring Turkey at 100,000 people, the Islamic State was growing closer to the Syrian border town. The U.N. believes that the number of refugees will surely go much higher. According to residents who had managed to flee from the Sunni extremist militants attacking Ayn al-Arab and its surrounding villages, ISIS … [Read more...]
Over 60,000 Syrian Kurds Flee from the Advancing Islamic State Militants
During the last 24 hours, more than 60,000 Syrian Kurds were forced to cross into Turkey fearing the Islamic State, which has been violently seizing villages close to the border and is now threatening a Syrian town. On Friday, Turkish authorities opened the frontier for Kurdish civilians who had fled their homes in fear of an imminent attack. According to Kurdish commanders, ISIS militants are … [Read more...]
Mount Sinjar Still Host to Tens of Thousands of Yazidis
In spite of President Obama’s statement in which he explained that U.S. involvement wouldn’t be required to help rescue the Yazidis that are still trapped on the mountain, it seems that many refugees are simply unable to reach safety unaided. As the Yazidis who are still on mount Sinjar are either elderly, very young or sick, there isn’t much hope that those who are too weak to complete the trek … [Read more...]