By Simon Kent. Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem met with Iraqi PM Haidar al-Abadi to discuss border security, Reuters reports. Currently, all of Iraq's border on the Syrian side is either held by Kurdish forces or the self declared Islamic State, with Iraqi forces gradually approaching Al Qaim, the last border town held by the […]
By Simon Kent. Unconfirmed reports suggest a Saudi Arabian national under the nom de guerre "Abu Wathbah al-Saudi," has been shot dead in Mosul, the last urban stronghold of the self declared Islamic State. The terrorist's role was apparently the recruitment of child soldiers. If true, it would only be one in a string of […]
By Simon Kent. Battling through an apocalyptic landscape of black smoke from burning oil, (fighters from the self declared Islamic State hoped this would hinder air strikes) Iraqi soldiers have reached the center of Qayyarah. Snipers held up the advance, before soldiers were able to capture a government compound. Qayyarah is just 60 km south […]
By Simon Kent. Coalition aircraft conducted 4 air strikes against the self declared Islamic State over the past 24 hrs, with "tactical units" being targeted near Ramadi and Hit in Anbar, a front of the Iraqi government and local anti-IS tribes. Another strike hit a tactical unit near Sinjar, which is close to Kurdish Peshmerga […]
By Simon Kent. Two Iraqi brothers have constructed a robot dubbed "Alrobot" ("the robot") to send into battle against the self declared Islamic State. The slick looking vehicle, the size of a small beach buggy, has an approximately 1 kilometer range and is controlled via laptop. If deployed, it would be among the first generation […]
By Simon Kent. An unnamed British Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) technician has been killed while trying to defuse an improvised explosive device (IED) in Ramadi, the mayor of the town has announced. The contractor was employed by US contracting firm Janus. Although cleared of fighters of the self declared Islamic State, Ramadi has been left […]
By Simon Kent. Iraqi Security Forces have found a mass grave containing the remains of police from Ninevah province, in a village south of Mosul, the last urban stronghold of the self declared Islamic State. A Sunni Iraqi police Colonel from nearby Salahaddin, Ahmed al Jubouri, remarked on the discovery, “Security forces at the recently liberated al-Jawaana […]
By Simon Kent. Germany have resumed arms shipments to the Kurdish Peshmerga after they were suspended following allegations that some of the arms had been seen on the black market. The latest shipment comes after the Kurdish Regional Government completed an investigation into the allegations and pledged that it would not happen again. Germany has […]
By Simon Kent. According to Iraqi police sources, members of the self declared "Islamic State" have shelled a refugee camp with mortar fire in northern Salahaddin, killing 12 people and injuring dozens. The camp, most likely populated by Sunni refugees (the very people IS claims to protect) was attacked from positions in the nearby town […]
By Simon Kent. Aircraft from the international Coalition against the self declared Islamic State have struck seven targets in Iraq, according to officials from Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve. This is half the number of strikes that occurred in Syria over a roughly 24 hour period, suggesting a paucity of targets in Iraq […]
By Saad Salloum for Al Monitor. Any opinions here are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. The Shabak community is one of the ethnic minorities in Iraq, speaking a language distinct from Arabic and Kurdish. Its members live on the Ninevah plains with other religious minorities […]
By Simon Kent. Amnesty International, the world-wide human rights organization, has published a report warning of imminent humanitarian crisis as the offensive to liberate Mosul from the self declared Islamic State gathers momentum. The organization also warned the current humanitarian emergency, which has seen at least 3 million Iraqis displaced from their homes, is severely […]
