445 articles
Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, who is Commander in Chief of the Iraqi Armed Forces, issued a decree on March 8th that would grant all Hashdt al-Shaabi or PMF (Popular Mobilization Forces) militia members the same benefits as members of the Iraqi armed forces. Also, they would receive the same pay as military members under the Ministry […]
Under the cover of heavy artillery and airstrikes, Turkish military forces have advanced to the outer reaches of Afrin. As of now, the central city is under siege and the outlying villages have been decimated by the shelling. Street fighting is still going on though and the Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces are not yielding under […]
Despite the Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) efforts to counter the Islamic State, a greater threat has proven to be the Turkish aggression against Afrin canton. Because of this the SDF is mobilizing 1,700 of its fighters, redeploying them to Afrin in move to defend the region from Operation Olive Branch. During a press conference […]
Massoumeh Attaie, 35, is an Iranian citizen who was the victim of a brutal acid attack by her father-in-law. She was seeking to divorce her husband but according to Iranian law, her eye’s were equivalent to only one of his. She had blackened her husband’s eye by the move so his father decided to remove […]
As Iraq has received a large order of Russian T-90 main battle tanks, General Dynamics has begun to question the use of the fleet of M1 Abrams that were provided prior to this. Nine of the M1 Abrams have landed in Shiite Militia hands, specifically the hands of the Iranian linked and Iraqi government supported […]
A Peshmerga commander affiliated to the PDKI (Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan), identified as Qadir Qadiri, was found dead on Wednesday in a village near the Kudish/Iranian border. The IPDK has claimed that Qadiri was assassinated by the Iranian government. Qadiri’s body was found in the village of Hartal according to Ibrahim Zewayee who is head of the […]
The Iraqi government has just purchased a large order of Russian T-90 tanks but is now eyeballing their S-400 air defense missile systems as well. The Foreign Minister for Iraq, Ibrahim al-Jaafari, who made a recent trip to Russia stated, “The issue is being studied in every detail. All necessary decisions aimed at strengthening Iraq will be made […]
In the village of Kifri, just southeast of Erbil, members of the Islamic State attempted to kidnap a local shepherd and his flock of sheep on Friday afternoon. Local Kurdish security forces responded and a firefight ensued. The attack happened around 1500 and was committed by 8 military age males. Attacks and kidnappings like this are […]
Whether you’re running a chest rig or a plate carrier, there are some key features or additions that are going to remain requirements no matter what. I will readily admit that not everyone has the same needs for their gear but the following serves as a good rule of thumb. Magazines, communication, medical, and all […]
A bomb exploded in Erbil, Kurdistan yesterday around 4:00 pm local time in what appears to be a targeted attack. The bomb was placed under the chassis of a car belonging to two Peshmerga from PDKI (Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan) and was detonated remotely. The Peshmerga injured were a father and son and remain […]
The PKK (Kurdistan Workers Party) is an insurgent group with close ties to the YPG (People’s Protection Units) that conducts guerrilla based combat operations against Turkish military forces. They have been officially designated as a terrorist organization by NATO because of their continuous attacks on a NATO ally — Turkey. The PKK have roots in communism […]
Human trafficking is a big business in Kurdistan, the travel ban and continual state of chaos that the Kurdish region finds itself in are motivation enough for people to want to flee the “country”. Smuggling is a booming business and the men who facilitate these activities are always on hand. In terms of Iraqi Kurdistan […]