BEIRUT  – A bomb attack claimed by Islamic State killed U.S. troops in northern Syria on Wednesday, weeks after President Donald Trump said the group had been defeated there and that he would pull out all American forces. A U.S. official who declined to be named said four U.S. troops had been killed and three […]

A top US official in the fight against the Islamic State group has quit over President Trump’s decision to pull troops from Syria, reports say. Brett McGurk, the US special presidential envoy for the Global Coalition to Defeat IS, brought his departure forward from February. Before Mr Trump’s announcement he had insisted that the US […]

Russia is to send new anti-aircraft missiles to Syria, a week after Syrian forces accidentally shot down a Russian aircraft during an Israeli air strike. Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said that the S-300 surface-to-air missile defence system would be delivered within two weeks. Fifteen Russian military personnel were killed when the reconnaissance aeroplane was […]

“We regard the provocative actions of Israel as hostile,” Moscow’s Defense Ministry said. LONDON — Moscow accused Israel of “hostile” behavior and threatened retaliation Tuesday after Syria shot down a Russian military aircraft with 15 people on board over the Mediterranean Sea. Russia is an ally of both Syria and Israel. The TASS news agency reported that […]

Russia and Turkey have agreed to create a demilitarised buffer zone in Syria’s Idlib province to separate government forces from rebel fighters based there. Russian President Vladimir Putin said it would be 15km to 25km (9-15 miles) wide and come into force by 15 October. Troops from Russia, an ally of Syria’s government, and Turkey, […]