PHOTOS: The Battle for Mosul, Iraq Has Begun
The government of Iraq announced at 2AM local time Monday that the initiative to eradicate the Islamic State from Mosul, the nation’s second largest city, has begun.
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Pope Francis: At Easter, Do Not Forget Persecution of Iraqi Christians
In a Holy Week letter sent to Iraqi Christians in Erbil, Pope Francis has called on people of the world to “not forget the tragedy of persecution” suffered by Christians in the Middle East. The Pope sent the letter, together
Americans Fighting Islamic State with Kurdish Forces Gear Up for New Year
American and other Western volunteers fighting the Islamic State (ISIS) in Iraq and Syria recently told the Kurdish outlet Rudaw they were gearing up for a new offensive against the jihadists in the new year. One American volunteer recalled how thousands demanded photos with him on a routine visit to a mall in Erbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan.
Iraqi Kurdish Leader Allegedly Refuses to Meet Jailed PKK Head: ‘It Is Not Morally Right’
The brother of Abdullah Ocalan, the head of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), claims Iraqi Kurdistan President Masoud Barzani turned down two opportunities to meet with the Kurdish guerrilla chief while visiting Ankara, Turkey to discuss the fight against the Islamic State.
Iraq ‘Fights Back’ Against Islamic State by Opening New Catholic University
Local Church officials have opened a new Catholic university in Erbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan, which Erbil Archbishop Bashar Warda has called “a way of fighting back against Islamic State.”
Russian Airstrikes Are Preventing Iraqi Christians from Fleeing Jihad
Russian airstrikes allegedly against Islamic State (ISIS) targets in Syria have forced airports in northern Iraq to close, stranding hundreds of Christians waiting to leave for Europe.
Turkish Troops in Mosul Top Agenda for Kurdish Leader in Ankara
Masoud Barzani, the President of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) of Iraq, is currently in Ankara holding bilateral talks with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu. The meeting will cover trade and the fight against the Islamic State (ISIS), and follows growing tensions between Turkey and Baghdad.
Iraqi Kurds to Russia: Keep Your Fighter Jets Out of Our Airspace
The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) of Iraq, based in northeastern Erbil, has requested the Russian government keep its fighter jets out of its airspace when conducting missions against enemies of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad in Iraq.
Business Booming at Kurdish Gun Shop Thanks to ISIS War
The war against the Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL) has reportedly presented an old gun shop in the Iraqi Kurdistan capital of Erbil with opportunities for new streams of revenue.
Yazidis, Peshmerga: PKK Keeping Us from Fighting ISIS in Sinjar
Yazidi militias organized to fight the Islamic State in Sinjar, northern Iraq are protesting that the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), a Marxist terrorist group operating out of Syria and Turkey, have prevented them from launching a mission to recapture Sinjar City after the terrorists stormed the region in 2014.
Turkey Cozies up to Iraqi Kurds as PKK Ends Ceasefire
The Turkish government is looking to increase its military cooperation with the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in Iraq, particularly in the fight against ISIS.
Kurds Fend off ISIS in North Iraq as Report Claims Al-Baghdadi Moves South
Kurdish Peshmerga forces in Iraq report this week that they have made significant gains against ISIS near Kirkuk, a northern oil city about an hour and a half south of the Kurdish capital of Erbil. This news follows reports that ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has fled northern Mosul south to Ramadi.
Catholic Archbishop of Erbil: ‘Our Vibrant Church is Dissolving Before Our Eyes’
The ancient Middle Eastern churches are “dissolving” thanks to widespread Christian emigration in the wake of persecution at the hands of jihadists, the Archbishop of Erbil has warned. Church communities in the region are doing their best to house, clothe
Islamic State Is ‘Cancer’ of the Middle East, Says Iraqi Archbishop
Bashar Matti Warda, the Chaldean archbishop of Erbil, has had more firsthand experience than most with the atrocities of the Islamic State, a group that he describes as “a cancer” in the Middle East.
ISIS Bomb Strikes the Heart of Erbil, Iraq, Killing Two
A suicide car bomb struck near the U.S. Consulate in Erbil, northern Iraq on Friday afternoon killing three people and wounding eight others. One of the wounded included an American woman, reported Rudaw News. The incident occurred at 5:40pm in the district of Ankawa, which is a predominately Christian area and a popular place for Westerners.
Car Bomb Kills Three Outside U.S. Consulate in Iraq’s Kurdish Capital
(Reuters) – A car bombing claimed by the Islamic State killed three people on Friday outside the U.S. consulate in Erbil, in a relatively rare attack in the capital of Iraq’s Kurdistan region.
ISIS Turned Mosul Catholic Cathedral into a Mosque
Cardinal Vincent Nichols, the Archbishop of Westminster, reported that the Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL) turned the Catholic cathedral in Mosul into a mosque.
Peshmerga Holding Back ISIS, but Denies Sunni Arabs Return Home to Kurdish Iraq
While the Kurdish Peshmerga forces in Iraq have managed to hold back the Islamic State (ISIS) from key areas, including the stronghold of Erbil, Sunni Arabs displaced by ISIS attacks are protesting that the Kurdish army is not allowing them to return home following the pushback.
Akon to Perform Benefit Concert in Kurdistan for anti-ISIS Peshmerga Fighters
Rapper and R&B star Akon will perform a benefit concert in Kurdistan to benefit the families of Kurdish Peshmerga forces currently embroiled in a ground offensive against ISIS.
