Turkish-Backed Forces Seize Syrian-Kurdish City of Afrin

Donald Kaufman / Truthdig Mar 19, 2018 Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan achieves an important objective by taking control of a key area from Kurdish fighters. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

Syrian Rebels Shoot Down Jet, Kill Russian Pilot

BASSEM MROUE and ZEYNEP BILGINSOY / The Associated Press Feb 3, 2018 The airman reportedly is slain on the ground in an exchange of gunfire with militants trying to capture him. A British-based group has confirmed his death. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

America’s Syria Snafu: Pentagon’s Militias Are Fighting Turkey and CIA’s Militias

By Juan Cole / Informed Comment Aug 31, 2016 US Syrian policy is in disarray despite recent victories against Islamic State U. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

Residents in Syrian Town Celebrate Freedom From Islamic State (Video)

By Juan Cole / Informed Content Aug 15, 2016 Men shaved their beards, which had been imposed on them by the fundamentalists, and women threw off their burqas and burned them in the northern town of Manbij on Saturday. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Number of Islamic State Fighters Falls to 15,000

Juan Cole / Truthdig Aug 14, 2016 Islamic State as a territorial power is slowly coming to an end, but as a source of terrorism it will have a long run. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Islamic State’s Important Smuggling City of Manbij, Syria, Has Fallen to the Kurd-Arab Force

Juan Cole / Truthdig Aug 7, 2016 The war in Syria is nowhere near to being over, but the Islamic State period may be coming to an end. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

A Story of Two Syrian Sieges: Manbij and East Aleppo

Juan Cole / Truthdig Jul 14, 2016 On Wednesday, the Syrian Democratic Forces (a mixed Kurdish and Arab group) advanced further into the city of Manbij, a major outpost for Islamic State in northern Syria. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

U.S.-Kurdish Force Moves on Islamic State at Manbij, and Turkey Goes Ballistic (Video)

Juan Cole / Truthdig Jun 2, 2016 Less than two weeks after the Syrian Democratic Forces announced their campaign against al-Raqqa, the capital of the phony caliphate of Islamic State, the SDF instead has veered off to the west in a bid to capture Manbij. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )