The full liberation of Mosul from ISIS has been declared, but at a terrible cost in human lives—and multiple contradictions among the alliance assembled to take the city could open a new war in Iraq's north.
With the Syrian Kurds now facing open war from both Turkey and the Assad regime, the imminent taking of Raqqa portends a multi-sided scramble for former ISIS territory.
ISIS and the United States exchanged accusations over destruction of Mosul's historic Grand al-Nuri Mosque—another blow to the city's heritage, coming during the holiest days of Ramadan.
Authorities in Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region announced that a referendum on independence will be held in September—drawing immediate harsh criticism from Baghdad.
Several civilians were killed when US air-strikes reportedly targeted ISIS-held Raqqa with white phosphorus—banned by the Geneva Convention as a weapon of war.
Iraq's Interior Ministry has launched an investigation following claims of grave human rights violations carried out against civilians by special forces while fighting ISIS in Mosul.
Over the past month, air-strikes carried out by the US and its coalition partners in Syria have killed the highest number of civilians on record since the bombing campaign began.
The Trump administration is in talks with Baghdad on keeping "several thousand" US troops in Iraq after the fight against ISIS in the country is over, Associated Press reported.
Following Turkish air-strikes on their forces in northern Syria, Kurdish leaders in the region issued a call for a "no-fly zone"—heightening the contradictions for Washington.
Turkish air-strikes on Kurdish militants both in Iraq and Syria place the US in an increasingly contradictory position—torn between its NATO ally and the most effective anti-ISIS forces.
US air-strikes killed more Arab civilians in ISIS-held territory, escalating tensions as US-backed Kurdish forces advance on Raqqa, the Arab-majority ISIS capital.
As rebels infiltrated Damascus in a surprise attack, defense of the city was joined by Hezbollah al-Nujaba, an Iraqi Shi'ite militia under command of Iranian Revolutionary Guards.
