Saudi business leaders call for boycott of ‘hostile’ Turkey
Political tensions between Turkey and Saudi Arabia are obstructing the movement of goods and putting a strain on trade relations between the two Sunni-Muslim regional powers.
Islamic State warns Saudi Arabia after allies normalize ties with Israel
How likely is it that followers of the Islamic State (ISIS) will heed its call on social media for attacks on Saudi oil pipelines and other infrastructure after the kingdom allowed planes en route to and from Israel to cross its territory?
Why Hezbollah, Pakistan now condemn France’s ‘anti-Muslim’ views – analysis
Several days after Turkish and Iranian media were given orders by the governing authorities to critique France for “Islamophobia,” condemnations have now poured in from Pakistan and the terrorist group Hezbollah.
Egypt, UAE establish Libya naval commando squad to fight Turkey
A special naval commandos unit made of of dozens of Libyan fighters has been setup with the held of the UAE to carry out operations against Turkey’s naval interests in the Mediterranean, sources told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed.
The South Syria Deal: Two Years Later
Two years have passed since Syria’s south and southwestern regions were seized by government forces. Dubbed the “South Syria Deal,” a U.S.-Russian understanding with Jordan’s and Israel’s blessings, government forces and “state Symbols” took control of the countrysides of Daraa and Qunaytirah. Daraa-based opposition forces had to surrender and make do with a limited presence in the form of local councils while “non-Syrian elements” (a euphemism for pro-Iran militias) were removed from the Jordan and Golan borders.
ISIS in the North Caucasus
More foreign fighters are thought to have joined the Islamic State (ISIS) from the former Soviet Union than from any other region of the world. The most prominent and active contingent came from the North Caucasus in southern Russia. Many of the underlying causes of radicalization and recruitment remain unresolved, and violence and instability may grow in the region in the post-ISIS era. The international community and U.S. government should engage constructively with Russian and local authorities in addressing the legacy of over two decades of fighting in the region, ineffective deradicalization programs, and the impunity and corruption seen as inherent in both government and law enforcement.
Turkey | Erdogan: To continue struggle against terrorism within and beyond our borders
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan congratulated security forces late Monday for conducting a military operation in Hatay province.
Arc de Triomphe area in Paris evacuated over bomb threat
Police in Paris, France temporarily cordoned off an area around the iconic Arc de Triomphe monument after a bomb alert on Tuesday. Metro lines in the area were also evacuated while police carried out security checks.
The alert was raised over a suspicious bag found on the nearby Champ de Mars, which local media reported as containing different kinds of ammunition.
Death toll update | Nearly 105 fighters killed and injured of “al-Sham Corps” close to Turkey in Russian airstrike on camp near Iskenderun region, north-west of Idlib
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has documented further casualties in the Russian airstrikes on a camp belonging to the Ankara-backed al-Sham Corps in Jabal al-Dawila area in Harem, north-west of Idlib.