Sources: BBC
Islamic State gunmen ambush a group of soldiers in Masrib, Deir ez-Zor, Syria, killing 13 of them and wounding others. 2021-11-13
Syrian state media reports that an ambush on a bus near Palmyra killed at least 37 people. A senior military defector in the region says that the bus was transporting Syrian Army troops and pro-government militia from Deir ez-Zor to the Tiyas Military Airbase. 2020-12-30
The main border crossing between Al-Qa'im, Iraq, and Albukamal, Syria, reopens. 2019-09-30
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet says the tens of thousands of Islamic State fighters and family members being held in Iraq and Syria must be tried or released, and calls on countries to take responsibility for their citizens and take them back if not charged. 2019-06-24
The number of people displaced globally totals 65.6 million after an addition of 10.3 million people displaced in 2016. Syria, Colombia, Afghanistan, Iraq and South Sudan are the countries in the top five. 2017-06-19
Turkish air strikes kill 18 Kurdish YPG fighters and media officials in northeastern Syria. Also five Peshmerga fighters are killed during a Turkish attack on Sinjar in Iraq. Turkey also claims to have destroyed "terror hubs". Iraq denounces the strike as a violation of its sovereignty. 2017-04-25
The United States Air Force deploys B-52 bombers to Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar to join operations against ISIL in Syria and Iraq. This is the first time they have been stationed in the Middle East since the end of the Gulf War in 1991. 2016-04-9
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant captures the border crossing at Al Waleed (al-Tanf in Syria), the last remaining border crossing between Syria and Iraq controlled by the Government of Syria. ISIL reportedly advances to within 40 km of Baghdad after their victory in Ramadi. 2015-05-22
The United Nations seeks $16.4 billion to fund humanitarian assistance programs in 2015 with Syria, Iraq, Sudan and South Sudan the areas of greatest need. 2014-12-8
After more than 18 months of requests, Turkey comes under heavy international pressure to secure its borders to the influx of foreign fighters, oil, and weapons crossing into Syria to fight for ISIS. ISIS fighters have been moving towards the Turkey-Syria border using armored cars looted from Iraqi military bases. 2014-08-24