Extremism Watch: Recent Episodes
Voice of America
Here is a timeline detailing the events that occurred on September 11, 2001, when members of the militant Islamist terrorist group al-Qaida launched coordinated attacks against the United States.
A center run by U.S.-backed forces in northeast Syria is offering help to rehabilitate the children of Islamic State fighters, who are held in detention camps and prisons. VOA’s Zana Omer filed this report from Tel Marouf, Syria narrated by Sirwan Kajjo.
Iraqi refugees at the al-Hol camp in northeast Syria are voicing concerns about the growing violence inside the camp, which hosts thousands of people, including families of Islamic State (IS) foreign fighters.Over the weekend, an Iraqi refugee was killed, and three others were seriously injured in an attack by a suspected IS cell, bringing the number of those killed inside the camp to 25 since mid-April.Al-Hol is home to nearly 62,000 people, including about 30,000 Iraqi refugees."Our situation is getting worse because of these assassinations,” said Um Abdulla, an Iraqi refugee who lives at the camp.“Honestly, if we went back to Iraq and stayed at another refugee camp, it would still be better than this place,” she told VOA.Women and children gather in front their tents at al-Hol camp that houses some 60,000 refugees, including families and supporters of the Islamic State group, many of them foreign nationals, in Hasakeh province, Syria on May 1, 2021. In March, U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) carried out a major security operation to curb attacks claimed by IS cells inside the camp. More than 125 suspected IS operatives were arrested in the campaign.But camp residents say there has been a new surge in violence in recent weeks at al-Hol.Despite its territorial defeat in March 2019, IS remains active throughout eastern Syria, carrying out attacks through its sleeper cells.Rakan Mohammed, another Iraqi refugee at al-Hol, said he thinks IS militants outside the camp coordinate with their followers inside the camp to conduct these attacks."Killing has become a daily occurrence here. Almost every day, they kill one or two people at the camp,” he said.FILE - Women walk in the al-Hol camp that houses some 60,000 refugees, including families and supporters of the Islamic State group, many of them foreign nationals, in Hasakeh province, Syria, May 1, 2021.An SDF official, who requested anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to speak about security matters, told VOA that if the violence at al-Hol continues to rise, the SDF could conduct another security operation similar to one conducted in March.Camp officials say the attackers mostly use knives and silencer weapons when targeting their victims.Most of the attacks have taken place during the night when there is less presence by security forces, camp residents say.“We can’t wait for the night to be over, because at night, you never know who would enter your tent,” Abu Ahmed, an Iraqi refugee, told VOA.In ...
Police in Turkey are investigating circumstances leading to the recent killings of seven members of a Kurdish family. Rights groups and experts say the Turkish government should act swiftly to prevent ethnic tensions. VOA's Sirwan Kajjo reports from Washington.Camera: Eyyup Demir
People in Afghanistan have chanted "Allahu Akbar," or God is great, as a protest against the Taliban's attacks on some cities in Afghanistan. VOA's Sayed Hasib Maududi filed this report, narrated by Roshan Noorzai.Camera: Sayed Hasib Maududi
Thousands of families fled their homes in Afghanistan’s eastern Kunar province this week after fighting intensified and the Taliban seized control of two districts. VOA’s Zabiullah Ghazi filed this report, narrated by Roshan Noorzai.Camera: Zabiullah Ghazi
Five years after Turkey’s failed military coup, journalists and critics of the government are still being persecuted, analysts say. Namo Abdulla, for VOA, has more. Camera: Nawid Orokzai, Umut Colak Produced by: Nawid Orokzai
Female survivors of the war against the Islamic State have openeda new women-run restaurant in the northern Iraqi city ofMosul, providing homemade food for residents and an economic lifelinefor themselves. VOA's Kawa Omer reports from the region in this storynarrated by Namo Abdulla.
In northern Afghanistan’s Balkh province along the border with Uzbekistan, residents tell VOA that since the Taliban have seized control, they have imposed severe new restrictions on locals. Journalist Gul Rahim Niazman reports from Balkh district in the province.
A U.S. military base in northeastern Syria has allowed VOA inside the perimeter for a look at how American and local Kurdish forces are working to prevent a resurgence of the Islamic State terror group. Sirwan Kajjo filed this exclusive report from Rumeilan, a town in northeast Syria. Camera: Sirwan Kajjo
Afghanistan’s national security adviser, Hamdullah Mohib, Friday met his Russian counterpart, Nikolai Patrushev, in Moscow to discuss security cooperation between the two countries.
In Raqqa, once the de facto capital of the Islamic State terror group and a city where the extremists indoctrinated children to fight, a new center offers kids free music and art classes instead. VOA’s Reber Kalo reports from Raqqa.
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Afghan chief peace negotiator, Abdullah Abdullah, will meet Friday with President Joe Biden at the White House. Jalal Mirzad reports for VOA from Kabul.
Thousands of families in Afghanistan’s southern Kandahar province who have been displaced in the past seven months because of Taliban violence, lack of food and shelter. VOA’s Azizullah Popal reports from Kandahar.
Iraqi officials announced over the weekend they have found the remains of 123 corpses in a mass grave near Mosul. The victims are believed to be Shiite Muslims who were executed by Islamic State when it took Mosul in 2014. VOA’s Kawa Omer reports from Mosul.
With thousands of men killed in combat, the war against the Islamic State terror group has expanded the work done by women. In the more conservative parts of Iraq, women usually do household work while men work outside. Um Inas is an example of how the war has turned this entrenched tradition upside down. VOA’s Kawa Omar reports from the region in this story narrated by Namo Abdulla.
Afghan Hindus and Sikhs who moved to India because of deteriorating security in their country are struggling with poor living conditions, and some families have even returned to Afghanistan.“We are in a situation that we have no option,” said Singh, a 24-year-old Sikh who lost his father, nephew and sister-in-law in a March 2020 attack on a Sikh temple in Kabul’s Shor Bazaar area that killed 25 people. “We cannot go to Afghanistan, and we are stuck in India. We have not been relocated to the U.S. or Canada as we were promised.”In the aftermath of the attack, which was claimed by the Islamic State, about 200 Hindu and Sikh families left for India — some on special visas — in hopes of being relocated to a third country.As reported by The Associated Press, members of the Afghan Sikh and Hindu diaspora — most of them based in Canada and Europe — agreed in August to sponsor the exodus to India, which is home to large Hindu and Sikh communities. Afghan security personnel stand guard near the site of an attack to a Sikh temple in Kabul on March 25, 2020.Several Canadian legislators also called for a program to grant Afghan Sikhs and Hindus special refugee status, but VOA could not verify whether any were successfully transferred to North America as a result.Last month about 40 Hindu and Sikh families returned to Afghanistan after staying in India for some nine months.Singh, who asked that his full name not be used, said that living in India was hard because “one cannot find a job, and we have no financial support.”Sarmeet Singh, 25, an Afghan Sikh who has been living in India since his father was assassinated in Herat, Afghanistan, two years ago, said the COVID-19 lockdown has made finding work “even more difficult.”Sarmeet, who has a 4-year-old daughter, said if circumstances don’t change, he’ll be forced to return despite the risk of violence.“If there are no suicide attacks and targeted killings, I and other Sikhs would return to our home country,” Sarmeet told VOA.An Afghan Sikh boy mourns the victims who were killed during an attack at Sikh religious complex during a funeral in Kabul, Afghanistan, March 26, 2020.‘Sign of hope’Once home to thriving Sikh and Hindu minorities, Afghanistan has seen these communities shrink from an estimated 250,000 in the 1980s to less than 1,000 as a result of ongoing warfare and ...
The withdrawal of U.S. and NATO troops from Afghanistan has made many Afghans fearful of the Taliban’s return to power, prompting the country’s last remaining Jew to make plans to leave as soon as possible.“God willing, I cannot say seven to eight months, but I will definitely leave by the time the Taliban come,” said Zebulon Simentov, 62, who lives in Kabul.The Taliban have increased their attacks on government-controlled areas in recent weeks, just as the United States and its NATO allies started withdrawing their remaining forces from the country.The U.S. announced Tuesday that it had pulled out between 30% and 44% of its 2,500 troops in the South Asian country. A complete withdrawal of the U.S. and NATO forces is expected to take place by September 11.Simentov has been the caretaker of Kabul’s only synagogue for decades and lives in the synagogue complex. He hopes the government can hire a replacement when he moves to Israel, to which his wife and two daughters moved in the 1990s because of the civil war in Afghanistan. He has visited once, for two months in 1998, he said.“They know that I am working on it, getting my passport and leaving. They can have a watchman, and then, let’s see what happens,” he said.Once a thriving community in Afghanistan, thousands of Afghan Jews have left for Israel and Western countries.The migration started in the 1950s after the creation of Israel, though many left after the Soviet invasion in 1979.Tolerant societyAccording to Hamayon Ahmadi, a conservator and restorer in Herat, more than 1,000 Jews coexisted with other residents of Herat City before the start of the war in 1978.“They were living together with others in a peaceful environment in Herat,” Ahmadi said, adding that the city once housed four synagogues.He said some Afghan Jews who left the country have visited the cemetery south of Herat’s Old City.Simentov has been the only Jew living in Afghanistan, he said, since Isaac Levi, another Jew living in Kabul, died in 2005.Other than being the synagogue caretaker, Simentov is jobless, though he said he ran a restaurant a few years ago and, he said, his family at one time had a carpet business that allowed him to travel the world.FILE - This photo from Aug. 29, 2009, shows Zebulon Simentov, the last known Jew living in Afghanistan, at his dining room table during Shabbat in his Kabul home, ...
Thousands of families have fled their homes as fighting between Taliban and Afghan government forces rages in the eastern province of Laghman. Zabiullah Ghazi reports from Mehtar Lam.
Activists in Herat province say they are concerned about the Afghan government’s support for some militant groups after the funeral of a Taliban breakaway leader in Herat City. The government rejects supporting the splinter groups. Khalil Noorzai reports from Herat City.
Residents of the Almkhil town in the northern Balkh province of Afghanistan are returning to their houses destroyed in the fighting to collect their belongings as a temporary cease-fire largely holds between the Taliban and the Afghan government. Gul Rahim Niazman reports from Balkh, Afghanistan.
Hundreds of Christians attended a mass funeral in a remote village of Indonesia’s Central Sulawesi province Wednesday to mourn four people killed by militants linked to the Islamic State group.Indonesian police told VOA that five militants attacked coffee farmers during harvest Tuesday and killed four of them in Kalemago village in Poso regency."These five people, one of whom is recognized by the witness, are in the Wanted List [for their membership] in the East Indonesian Mujahedeen,” said Didik Supranoto, a senior commissioner and spokesperson for Central Sulawesi Regional Police.The East Indonesian Mujahedeen, also known as Mujahedeen Indonesia Timur (MIT), has been active in mountainous Poso district since 2010. The United Nations, Indonesia and the United States have labeled MIT a terrorist organization.The group’s founder, Abu Wardah Santoso, pledged allegiance to IS in 2014.Indonesian forces killed Santoso during a jungle gunbattle in July 2016. Ali Kalora replaced him to keep MIT active in Poso district, an area that has been a hotbed for religious conflict for years.Residents of Kalemago village in Indonesia's Central Sulawesi province mourn for four farmers killed May 11, 2021, by East Indonesia Mujahedeen. (Yoanes Litha/VOA)While there are no official data on the number of MIT members, the group is known to operate with a small group of recruited fighters. In 2015, the U.S. State Department described the group as becoming “increasingly bold” in its explosives and shooting attacks against security forces.Last November, local media reported that MIT militants burned several houses and killed four people in an attack on a village in Sigi district.Tuesday’s assault prevented the farmers of Kalemago from attending to their coffee and coco plantations because of fear of more violence from MIT, according to the village’s secretary, Otniel Papunde."Our hope for the government, the president, is to resolve this. If not, we will no longer be able to go out to earn a living,” Papunde told VOA, adding that the remote village, home to 735 people, has been a victim of militant violence for years.“Frankly, we feel that no one is paying attention to us," said Papunde.
Pakistani feminists say they are determined to fight blasphemy charges filed in mid-April by militant Islamic groups opposed to their International Women's Day rallies held on March 8. They rejected as "totally false" blasphemy allegations based on the social media postings of their rallies. "We've seen a weaponization of blasphemy increase," said Farieha Aziz of the Karachi-based Women's Action Forum. "There's a pattern since 2017 of using it against dissidents in particular." Until recently, Aziz said, social dissidents were labeled "anti-state" and "anti-Islamic," with the blasphemy charges taking opposition to a whole new level. Right-wing position Nasir Minhas, an activist and lawyer with the far-right political party Tehrik-i-Labaik Pakistan (TLP), told VOA he would pursue his blasphemy petition in the High Court of Islamabad after it was rejected by a lower court. "These women had raised objectionable slogans which were anti-Pakistan and anti-Islam, and they held banners which symbolically insulted the Prophet of Islam," Minhas said. FILE - Activists of the Aurat March carry placards as they march during a rally to mark International Women's Day in Lahore, March 8, 2021.Pakistan's laws carry the death penalty for those charged with blasphemy, and some of the accused have been killed even before their cases reached court. Aziz said the allegations have had a "chilling effect." "There are those who continue to speak up, and will," she said, adding the charges have organizers concerned about the impact on the women's movement. Government's position Bilalwal Bhutto Zardari, Pakistan People's Party chairman and opposition leader, opposed the "misuse" of the blasphemy charge, and the PPP has stopped police from registering cases against women. But Firdous Naqvi, a parliamentarian from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) ruling party, told VOA his party cannot support the women for raising "Westernized slogans" such as "My body. My choice." "Islam clearly lays down the guidelines for women's dress and their code of conduct," he said. In videos posted on social media, some women are wearing jeans and several others are without the dupatta, a traditional loose cloth covering. One young female organizer, who requested anonymity for her safety, said she believes Pakistani women's "consciousness" has progressed more than the state. "Younger women who have studied abroad and have access to social media know how different our lives are in Pakistan compared to women across the world," she said. 'Doctored videos' Rally organizers said their slogans were misinterpreted and their videos were doctored to force them into silence. They claim when they shouted "mullahs" ...
Families of those killed in the Afghan war are calling for a cease-fire and resuming peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban. Samsama Serat reports from Kabul.
The Afghanistan government says it is time for Pakistan to stop supporting and sheltering the Taliban as the United plans to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan. Rahim Gul Sarwan Reports from Kabul.
Heavy fighting continues between U.S.-backed Kurdish forces and a Syrian-backed militia in the northeastern Syrian city of Qamishli. Zana Omer has this report from Qamishli.
Young Afghans say they are concerned over the U.S. troop pullout from Afghanistan this year, while calling on the Afghan government and the Taliban to reach a peace agreement. VOA’s Roshan Noorzai reports.
Afghan women are expressing concern over the announced U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan by September 11. They say they want international and regional guarantees that two decades of gains in women’s rights will be preserved. Lima Niazi reports from Kabul.
Afghanistan’s peace council says it has finalized a peace proposal for the upcoming meeting with the Taliban in Turkey. Meanwhile, the Taliban say they are not ready to attend the 10-day conference in Istanbul that’s scheduled to be held April 24 through May 4. Hikmat Sorosh reports from Kabul.
Afghanistan's peace council says it has finalized a peace proposal for the upcoming meeting with the Taliban in Turkey. Meanwhile, the Taliban say they are not ready to attend the 10-day conference in Istanbul that's scheduled to be held April 24 through May 4. Hikmat Sorosh reports from Kabul.
Members of the LGBTQ community in Iraqi Kurdistan say they face threats from their society and their government, leading some to leave the country. VOA’s Rebaz Majeed reports from the region in this story narrated by Namo Abdulla
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has shared a three-phase peace roadmap that focuses on a cease-fire, elections and building a constitutional framework. Meanwhile, Afghanistan's peace council says it is working to build consensus among Afghan politicians ahead of the peace conference in Turkey. Hikmat Sorosh reports from Kabul.
Afghanistan’s Independent Human Rights Commission confirmed Thursday that 14 women have been killed and 22 others injured since January in targeted killings by armed militants. VOA’s Lima Niazi reports from Kabul.
U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces continue their security operation against suspected Islamic State cells inside al-Hol camp where 62,000 people, including thousands of families of IS foreign fighters, are held. VOA’s Zana Omer reports from al-Hol, Syria.
The Afghan government says the country could return to a civil war if U.S. and NATO forces pull out of Afghanistan without a peace deal between the Afghan government and the Taliban. VOA's Hikmat Sorosh reports from Kabul.
U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces have launched a security operation against suspected cells of the Islamic State (IS) terror group inside a camp in northeast Syria that is holding thousands of refugees, including families of IS foreign fighters. VOA's Zana Omer has filed this report from al-Hol, Syria, narrated by Sirwan Kajjo. Camera: Zana Omer
Female journalists in Afghanistan are concerned about their safety after three women working for a media outlet in the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad were killed in an early March attack claimed by the Islamic State. VOA’s Lima Niazi has the story, narrated by Roshan Noorzai.
The Afghan government says President Ashraf Ghani and visiting U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin expressed concern over what they called the high level of violence in the country. VOA's Hikmat Sorosh reports from Kabul about the trip and the Taliban's stated plan for reducing violence.
The Afghan government says it will participate in the peace conferences that are scheduled to be held in Russia and Turkey. Meanwhile, the Taliban have announced they will attend the conference in Moscow on March 18. VOA’s Rahim Gul Sarwan reports from Kabul.
Women in Kurdish-controlled northeast Syria threw a party this week to celebrate International Women’s Day. VOA’s Zana Omer reports from the region about women who are celebrating freedoms they were recently denied. Namo Abdulla narrates the story.
Afghanistan’s stalled peace process was jolted this week by reports of a U.S.-drafted letter that calls for the creation of a new transitional government. U.S. officials have not confirmed the authenticity of the letter. VOA’s Rahim Gul Sarawan has the story, narrated by Roshan Noorzai.Camera: Rahim Gul Sarwan Produced by: Rahim Gul Sarwan
Al-Hol camp authorities on Thursday released 65 Islamic State families of Deir el-Zour under an agreement with Syria’s tribes. VOA’s Zana Omer reports.
U.S. special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad visited Kabul on Monday and met with Afghan leaders to discuss ways to accelerate the peace process. He is also expected to meet with the Taliban in Doha. VOA’s Sayed Hasib Maudoodi reports from Kabul.
A year into the U.S.-Taliban agreement, Afghan leaders say they are frustrated with the continued rise of violence by the militant group that has taken a toll on civilians.The agreement, signed on Feb. 29, 2020, asks for the withdrawal of all U.S. forces by May 2021, but only if the Taliban keep their promises of cutting ties with terrorist groups and participating in intra-Afghan talks for a permanent cease-fire and a political roadmap for Afghanistan.“The increase in violence has disappointed Afghans,” said Shukria Barakzai, a former member of the lower house of Afghan parliament. “The Taliban promised that they will reduce violence; and would make peace with the Afghan government, but unfortunately they have not done so.”FILE - Afghans carry the coffin of a victim of a bombing and shooting attack, during his funeral, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Dec. 23, 2020.More than 3,000 civilians were killed, and 5,800 others were injured in Afghanistan in 2020, according to a report published Tuesday by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan. UNAMA said civilian casualties rose 45% after the start of the intra-Afghan negotiations on Sept. 12 in Doha, Qatar.Referring to the stalled talks in Doha, Barakzai said the Afghan government representatives, despite months of effort, were unable to make progress toward peace because “the Taliban are not willing to talk to them.”The intra-Afghan talks started six months later than scheduled because of a rift between the Afghan government and the Taliban over the release of 5,000 Taliban prisoners.According to Michael Kugelman, deputy director of the Asia Program at the Wilson Center in Washington, the U.S.-Taliban deal did not specify the reduction of violence as a requirement.While Kabul remained unhappy about the deal, the Taliban intensified attacks on military and civilian targets as a bargaining tactic, Kugelman said.“If you want a real agreement leading to peace, at the very least you need to stipulate is that the insurgent actor must cease violence or at least reduce violence,” he added.Birds flyover the city of Kabul on Jan. 31, 2021. In a report released Feb. 1, 2021, said Taliban attacks in the Afghan capital are on the rise, with increasing targeted killings of government officials, civil-society leaders and journalists.Sidelining KabulSome Afghan officials say leaving Kabul out of the February 2020 deal has only emboldened the group to increase hostilities. The Taliban at that time argued they would not talk with the Afghan government because they did not ...
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) in a report Tuesday said that civilian casualties have surged in Afghanistan after peace talks started between the Afghan government and the Taliban in September 2020. The agency said that more than 3,000 civilians were killed and 5,800 others were injured in Afghanistan in 2020. VOA’s Rahim Gul Sarwan reports from Kabul.
Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, leader of Hezb–e Islami (Islamic Party), has threatened to stage a large protest to topple the Afghan government if the 2016 peace agreement that they both signed is not fully implemented. The Afghan government said security forces will not allow any group to use violence for political gains. VOA’s Hasib Maududi reports from Kabul.
Kakai men traditionally grow big mustaches, a feature that, members say, has meant certain death for many of them as IS used it to identify them
Afghan officials say the Taliban have intensified their attacks across Afghanistan amid stalled peace talks in Doha. VOA’s Rahim Gul Sarwan reports from Kabul.
The Afghan government has welcomed a US panel report calling on the Biden administration to extend the May 1 deadline for withdrawing US troops from Afghanistan. VOA’s Jalal Mirzad reports from Kabul
Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) has reported that up to 3,000 civilians were killed in Afghanistan last year, despite the ongoing peace talks to end decades of war in the country. VOA’s Rahim Gul Sarwan reports from Kabul, Afghanistan.
Some Afghans say they are hoping the new U.S. administration will push the Taliban to agree to a cease-fire. Meanwhile, the Afghan government has welcomed the new U.S. administration’s announcement that it is reviewing the U.S.-Taliban peace agreement. VOA’s Gul Rahim Niazman reports from Mazar Sharif, Afghanistan.
A recent wave of targeted killings of journalists in Afghanistan has raised concerns among journalists about their safety. VOA’s Rahim Gul Sarwan reports from Kabul.
Afghanistan’s High Peace Council says an immediate cease-fire is a top priority for the Afghan government negotiators in the second round of the intra-Afghan talks in Doha. Meanwhile, activists have expressed their concerns over a recent surge in targeted killings in Afghanistan. VOA’s Samsama Sirat reports from Kabul.
Rattled members of Congress reconvened Wednesday night to resume counting electoral votes from the November election. Both Democrat and Republican lawmakers said they are determined to continue certifying President-elect Joe Biden’s electoral victory, hours after thousands of President Donald Trump’s supporters stormed the Capitol building. Patsy Widakuswara has the story.
The second round of talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban will resume Tuesday. Meanwhile, the United States rejected the Taliban’s accusations that U.S. forces have violated the U.S.-Taliban agreement. VOA’s Sayed Hasib Maudoodi reports from Kabul.
A number of Iraqis who have lost limbs during the war against the Islamic State in Mosul are now chasing their dreams of becoming professional volleyball players. VOA’s Kawa Omar reports from Mosul, in this story narrated by Namo Abdulla.
Kurdish forces in Iraq and Syria have been important partners for the United States in the fight against the Islamic State terror group. During President-elect Joe Biden’s years in the Senate and as vice president, he was deeply involved in U.S. policy in the region, and Kurds are hopeful about what that could mean for them in the coming years. Sirwan Kajjo reports from Washington.Produced by: Nawid Orokzai
More than 12 million people have become refugees or displaced by Syria’s decade-old conflict. Many of them are widows struggling to build a better life for their children. VOA’s Kawa Omer reports from Bardarash, Iraq, in this story narrated by Namo Abdulla.
A Taliban delegation led by deputy leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar has met with Pakistani officials in Islamabad to discuss the next round of intra-Afghan peace talks. The Afghan government welcomed the visit. VOA’s Rahim Gul Sarwan reports from Kabul.
The Iraqi government has decided to close several camps housing tens of thousands of internally displaced people (IDPs) who had fled the war against Islamic State, a move an international refugee agency warns could leave as many as 100,000 people homeless. VOA’s Kawa Omar has details from Mosul in this report narrated by Namo Abdulla.
Kurdish-led authorities in northeast Syria have released a second group of Syrian nationals from a camp that also holds thousands of families of Islamic State fighters. VOA’s Zana Omer reports from al-Hol, Syria.
Internally displaced families in the eastern Khost province are deeply concerned about their living conditions as temperatures plunge and weather conditions become rough. VOA’s Ibrahim Rahimi reports from Khost, Afghanistan.
Amid fears about the spread of the coronavirus, the Kurdish-led Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria has released more than 100 Syrian family members of Islamic State fighters held at an overpopulated camp in northeast Syria. VOA’s Zana Omar has this report from al-Hol, Syria, narrated by Namo Abdulla.
Islamic State (IS) claimed responsibility for Monday’s attack on Kabul University that killed at least 22 people and injured a dozen more. Afghan security forces said the attack ended after an hourslong gunfight. VOA’s Hikmat Sorosh reports from Kabul.
A recent surge in blasphemy accusations in Pakistan has raised concerns among human rights groups. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan has reported more than 40 cases of blasphemy in Pakistan in the month of August alone. VOA's Arshad Momand visited the family of a man who is accused of blasphemy and filed this report, narrated by Roshan Noorzai.
The U.S. has rejected the Taliban claim that Washington violated their peace agreement this month through airstrikes in Helmand province, saying the strikes were in support of Afghan forces defending against the Taliban's offensives.
This month marks the one-year anniversary of a Turkish military operation in Syria that resulted in the displacement of more than 150,000 people. VOA’s Zana Omar reports from Hasakah, northeast Syria, about the displaced people bracing for a second winter, in this story narrated by Namo Abdulla.
While talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban continue in Doha to find a solution to nearly two decades of conflict, women serving in the Afghan National Defense Security Forces (ANDSF) say they fear losing their jobs if the Taliban return to power. VOA’s Samsama Sirat reports from Kabul.
Violence in Afghanistan has surged as the U.S. special envoy is in Doha to break the deadlock over the framework for conducting peace talks.
The Afghan government has called on its regional and international partners to help with the stalled peace talks with the Taliban in Doha, Qatar. Both sides have yet to agree on rules for conducting peace talks. VOA’s Rahim Gul Sarwan reports from Doha.
Local officials say so far, they have exhumed 16 bodies of women and men executed by Islamic State during the terror group’s rule of large swaths of Syria and Iraq between 2014 and 2019
The Afghan government and the Taliban said Monday they have made some progress in their discussions over the rules for conducting the talks. However, they said both sides still must agree on a few remaining issues before starting the talks. Meanwhile, clashes between government forces and the Taliban have killed dozens of people in recent days. VOA's Rahim Gul Sarwan reports from Kabul.
The Afghan government and the Taliban began historic peace negotiations Saturday in Doha, Qatar. The discussions are expected to focus on a permanent cease-fire and power-sharing arrangement in Afghanistan. VOA’s Rahim Gul Sarwan reports from Doha.
The U.S. announced Wednesday it would reduce its troop levels in Afghanistan from 8,600 to 4,500 by November. Afghans say that 19 years after 9/11, however, the U.S. has not achieved all of its counterterrorism goals in Afghanistan. VOA’s Sayed Hasib Maudoodi reports from Kabul.
The Afghan government said Thursday that it had released the remaining Taliban prisoners, removing the last hurdle in the way of starting intra-Afghan talks. VOA’s Hikmat Sorosh reports from Kabul.
The Afghan government said it has taken the necessary measures to curb the use of drugs by its police forces amid a report published last week by the U.S. Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), which said Afghan agencies found that half of the police forces in the southern provinces used drugs. Mumtaz Baheer has more.
The Afghan government said Monday some Western countries have officially requested that the Afghan government does not release some Taliban prisoners who are accused of killing their nationals. The Afghan government adds that it is working with these countries to find a solution. VOA’s Sayed Hasib Maududi reports from Kabul.
The recent assassinations of tribal leaders in eastern Syria have triggered a new campaign by U.S.-backed forces to hunt down Islamic State sleeper cells in the region. Zana Omer reports from Deir el-Zour, Syria.
The Iranian deputy foreign minister said recently in Kabul that Afghans fought in Syria as part of the Fatemyon Brigade to make Afghanistan “more secure.” Afghans say that Iran deployed Afghans as a proxy force to fight in Syria for its own national interest. VOA’s Sayed Hasib Maududi reports from Kabul.
The Afghan government is reiterating that it will not release 600 Taliban prisoners out of the 5,000 that the Taliban say must be released before starting intra-Afghan talks.
Amid controversy in Washington over reports that a Russian intelligence unit paid bounties to Taliban militants to kill U.S. and NATO soldiers in Afghanistan, some Afghan lawmakers say it is no secret Russia has cultivated close contacts with the Taliban and it is likely Russia has financially supported Taliban violence.Shinkai Karokhail, a member of the Wolesi Jirga, the lower house of Afghanistan’s parliament, told VOA, "It is thought that Russia has been supporting the Taliban, and it has provided the Taliban with the means so that the war, the U.S. engagement, in Afghanistan continues.”Karokhail said media reports about the Russian bounties needed to be investigated. She added, however, it is plausible that the Taliban receive financial support from other countries in the region.FILE- Afghan security forces take position during a gunbattle between Taliban and Afghan security forces in Laghman province, Afghanistan, March 1, 2017.“To continue fighting, the Taliban need money, and for sure, countries such as Russia, Pakistan, Iran and others would be providing them money,” she said.Gulalai Sapi, an Afghan senator, said Russia and some other regional powers do not see their interests in the peace process in Afghanistan.“Some countries may not want this process to be implemented as soon as possible because war in Afghanistan is in their interest,” she said.Last week, The New York Times, citing anonymous U.S. intelligence sources, reported that a Russian intelligence unit offered bounties to the Taliban for killing American and coalition soldiers in Afghanistan. The newspaper said U.S. President Donald Trump was briefed on the issue.Senior U.S. intelligence officials briefed a bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers Thursday after members of Congress called for additional information on the issue.Russia and the Taliban have rejected the allegations, and the Afghan government has declined to comment despite several requests to the country’s presidential office and the national security council.Russia-Taliban relationsSim Tack, a military analyst with the Stratfor global intelligence firm, told VOA he was not surprised that Russian intelligence would be “trying to encourage them [the Taliban] to target coalition forces in any way.”Tack said Russia’s interest is in building relations with the Taliban “as a way to ensure Russian influence in a post-U.S. Afghanistan.”He added that “if Russia is able to build a cooperative relationship with the Taliban at this point, then that definitely will help them carry a greater role in Afghanistan in the future.”FILE - Participants attend a conference on Afghanistan bringing ...
Ceiling and concrete walls are all that is left of a grocery store owned by a young Kurdish couple here in this riverside, tourist village in northern Iraq.The store was hit last week by a Turkish drone attack, wounding the owners and their two small children.“At the time of the incident, I immediately lost one of my legs,” said Peyman Talib, the 31-year-old wife, from her hospital bed, with one leg missing from the knee down.“My other leg is also broken. It requires further surgery,” she told VOA.Talib’s husband, Keywan Kawa, 30, and their two children, a 7-year-old girl and a 5-year-old boy, were also injured in the attack.“There are about 20 shrapnel pieces in my body,” Kawa told VOA at the hospital where his wife and children were receiving medical treatment. He wore a medical neck brace.“I have left my son in the hands of God. There is shrapnel stuck in his head and the doctors here say it too risky for them to take it out,” he said.Kurdish rebelsThe drone strike appeared to have chased a Toyota truck carrying several fighters allegedly affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which was left badly damaged.The PKK is an armed group that has engaged in a three-decade-long insurgency for Kurdish autonomy in Turkey. The Kurdish group maintains bases inside the autonomous northern Kurdistan region of Iraq.Kawa said the truck stopped near his store, a man got off and entered the shop to purchase some goods. Then the Turkish strike hit, killing the man and injuring Kawa and his family.FILE - Recruits of the Kurdistan Free Life Party, a splinter group of the PKK, the Kurdistan Workers' Party, take defensive positions near their training camp in the Qandil mountain range, northern Iraq.The Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK), an armed offshoot of the PKK that fights for more political and cultural rights for the Kurds in Iran, said the man was a party member named Rebwar Gholizadeh, better known by his nom de guerre, Ariwan the Revolutionary.The group also said three additional fighters, who apparently stayed behind in the vehicle, were wounded, but it did not list their injuries.Both the PKK and PJAK are designated as terrorist groups by Washington, Ankara and Tehran.Iraqi condemnationA day after the strike, Iraqi President Barham Salih’s office issued a statement, condemning the airstrike and calling on Turkey to stop “its repeated violations of Iraq’s airspace that ...
The Afghan government says that the reduction in U.S. forces in Afghanistan has been conducted in coordination with the Afghan government. The U.S. says that it has reduced its troop levels from 13,000 to 8,600 in Afghanistan in accordance with the U.S.-Taliban agreement. VOA’s Hikmat Sorosh reports from Kabul.
Suleiman Abu-Namous is a 110-year-old Palestinian who has been living in different refugee camps since 1948. Currently settled in the Jabalia camp in the northern Gaza Strip, Abu-Namous fears he could lose his home due to funding cuts by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees. Camera: Safi Mahmoud, Ibrahim Produced by: Nawid Orokzai
Outrage has spread across social media in Turkey over the killing of a 20-year-old Kurdish man in an alleged hate crime in Ankara. Pro-Kurdish activists and politicians say Baris Cakan was stabbed to death for listening to Kurdish music, a claim rejected by the Turkish government. VOA Kurdish Service's Eyyup Demir filed this story from Ankara.Camera: Eyyup Demir Produced by: Nawid Ookzai
U.S. envoy for peace in Afghanistan met with the Taliban in Doha and Pakistani officials in Islamabad this week. He is expected to meet Afghan officials in Kabul to talk about steps to start intra-Afghan negotiations. Meanwhile, Qatar said Wednesday that it is ready to host the talks. VOA’s Rahim Gul Sarwan reports from Kabul.
U.S.-backed forces in Syria launched a major operation to destroy the remnants of a terror group in eastern Syria following a surge in attacks. VOA's Zana Omer has sent this report, narrated by Sirwan Kajjo.Camera: Nawid Orokzai Produced by: Nawid Orokzai
Hayat Dakhil Murad — a young Yazidi woman who fled the Islamic State (IS) attack on Sinjar in 2014 to the Sharya Refugee Camp in the Kurdistan Region's Dohuk province — has found solace in painting the realities of her people's ordeal in Iraq. VOA's Salam Balay filed this report from the Sharya Refugee Camp in Duhok, Kurdistan Region, Iraq.Camera: Salam Balay Produced by: Nawid Orokzai
The Afghan government said Monday that it is ready to start peace talks with the Taliban. But disagreement over the prisoner swap lingers. VOA’s Jalal Mirzad reports from Kabul.
Civilians who are bearing the brunt of militant attacks in northern Mozambique say they feel safe in the town of Pemba but aid groups that are helping them say the coronavirus is posing challenges because of overcrowding. VOA’s Andre Baptista has this report, narrated by Sirwan Kajjo.Produced by: Nawid Orokzai
The Afghan government has announced Sunday that it will speed up the release of the Taliban prisoners. The announcement came a day after the Taliban declared a 3-day cease-fire during the Islamic holiday of Eid al-Fitr. VOA’s Hikmat Sorosh reports from Kabul.
As the coronavirus pandemic continues to slow businesses in the blockaded Gaza Strip, a small factory in the enclave is firing up its production to help supply for a face mask shortage in Israel. Shehada Factory was devoted to making clothes for Palestinians and for Israeli markets before March when Hamas militant group imposed strict restrictions due to the pandemic. Using raw material provided by Israeli merchants, the garment factory has now pivoted its business to produce 50,000 face masks per day— all of which are exported to Israel. “The Israelis are in need of surgical face masks, and in the Gaza Strip we need to employ as many workers as possible to ease the harsh economic conditions,” the 55-year-old factory owner, Hasan Shehada, told VOA. Before the spread of coronavirus, Shehada said his factory used to work at a rather slow pace producing clothes for local and Israeli markets. But it is now thriving as more than sixty of its workers strive each day to meet Israel’s high demand for face masks. As of Wednesday, Israel has reported over 16,600 confirmed cases of coronavirus, with 2884 active cases and 279 deaths. The Israeli government this week eased its social distancing measures in a move that officials said was to help the country’s education system. West Bank and Gaza have registered only 391 cases of coronavirus, with 20 confirmed cases in Gaza. However, the economic fallout of the virus has cast a shadow on the coastal enclave which has been suffering for years as a result of the conflict with Israel. Human Framework Shehada said economic relations between Israel and Gaza were about “mutual interests” on both sides, adding that the spread of the coronavirus has prompted “everybody to deal with others within a human framework.” He said the spike in the factory’s production has resulted in other unusual buyers, including Palestinian businesspeople based in the United States. The U.S. buyers have asked him to supply them with a million face masks. “Despite limited resources and capabilities, the Gaza Strip is producing surgical face masks at the international level and has become a competitor in the market,” charged Shehada. Muhammad, a 40-year-old worker at the factory and father of seven, told VOA that the spread of coronavirus has unexpectedly improved the economic situation of his family. “Over the past years, we have been working intermittently when there were orders, but now there is a boom,”’ he said. Expressing hope that Shehada factory could continue exporting to Israel even after the pandemic, he said his daily wage has improved and he is now allowed ...
U.S.-backed local authorities in eastern Syria’s al-Hasakah area say they are bracing for a possible coronavirus outbreak in the al-Hol refugee camp, where thousands of Islamic State families are being detained. The authorities say IS wives are rejecting protective measures for religious reasons. VOA’s Zana Omer has this report narrated by Nisan Ahmado.Producer: Nawid Orokzai. Videographer: Nawid Orokzai
At least 38 people were killed, and scores wounded Tuesday in two separate attacks in Afghanistan. Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack on a funeral in eastern Nangarhar province. No group has immediately claimed responsibility for the attack on a hospital in west Kabul. VOA’s Hikmat Sorosh reports from Kabul.
In an effort to beat the boredom during the coronavirus quarantine in the besieged Gaza Strip, two boys (Hamza and Basheer) and their father (Ahmed al-Ayoubi) sit in a small room of their house every day to play music during the lockdown. The three play the zither, flute, and electric organ. Safi Mahmoud has the story.
The United Nations reported Monday that 533 civilians were killed and 760 injured in violence in Afghanistan during the first quarter of 2020. The U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan is concerned about the increase in violence and civilian casualties after the U.S.-Taliban peace agreement, and it is calling for a cease-fire among warring sides. VOA’s Hikmat Sorosh reports from Kabul.
The Afghan government says that among the 60 prisoners released by the Taliban last week, only 19 are government soldiers and the rest are civilians. VOA's Rahim Gul Sarwan reports from Kabul.
As Palestinian authorities step up their efforts to contain the spread of the coronavirus in the West Bank, a garment factory in Hebron city has shifted its production from clothing items to masks and protective suits against the pandemic. Al-Mahariq factory is operating seven days a week to meet local demand for protective equipment in the Palestinian territories. Its workers say they hope their products can help their community feel safer while authorities report a lack of supplies to fight the contagious virus. “The virus is spreading all over the world, and it is closer to our country,” Amir Zaloum, the sales manager of al-Mahariq, told VOA, adding that as a father he felt responsible for helping “the sons and daughters” in his country. “We have to be careful and protect our people and employees. So, we have started to produce the protective jumpsuits to meet the needs of the market and the employees in the ministries, security and police officers.” The factory works 24 hours a day to produce between 200 and 300 suits and over 3,000 masks daily. One of its workers, Amir Al Shiehk Durra, said the staff run different shifts to meet local demand in Hebron. “I came here 20 days ago to work in this factory as they needed more people to help in making masks. The demand for masks is increasing and the number of staff joining the work is also increasing daily,” said Durra. Continued operation during the pandemic means the workers are more vulnerable to contract the virus. The factory is taking precautionary measures to ensure workplace safety. Still, many workers remain concerned but say they see no other option. “Of course I am concerned every day I leave home to work,” one of the workers, Badr Khalil Durra, told VOA. “But this is an emergency and we don’t have an alternative in Palestine but to make these masks, otherwise people won’t have any protective masks.” The U.S. government Thursday said it was giving $5 million in assistance to help Palestinian hospitals and households cope with the coronavirus. Announcing the aid in a tweet, the U.S. ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, said “the USA, as the world’s top humanitarian aid donor, is committed to assisting the Palestinian people, & others worldwide, in this crisis.” The humanitarian assistance came as Palestinian health authorities earlier Thursday said that the number of registered COVID-19 cases had risen to ...
A Pakistani court in early April acquitted journalist Nasrullah Chaudhry who was sentenced to five years in prison for allegedly possessing banned literature and expressing religious hatred. Pakistani journalists considered it a trumped-up charge to silence reporters and squash press freedom. VOA’s Muhammad Saqib reports from Karachi.
The Afghan government released another 100 Taliban prisoners Thursday, a day after freeing 100 the day prior, and just days after talks on a prisoner swap with the Taliban collapsed. The Taliban says the release is not in line with the U.S.-Taliban agreement, and local Afghans are concerned the released Taliban prisoners might return to fighting. VOA's Rahim Gul Sarwan reports from Kabul.
The Afghan Taliban rejected media reports Thursday suggesting they would agree to a cease-fire if areas under their control were hit by the coronavirus. A spokesperson for the Taliban did say, however, that members would “suspend fighting until relief groups are able to bring aid" to areas under their control.
The Afghan Taliban have launched a public awareness campaign about the new coronavirus in the areas under their control in the eastern province of Nangarhar. But locals want them to do more.
Concerns about the spread of coronavirus are growing in Syria’s Idlib governorate, where hundreds of thousands of Syrians have been displaced because of a Russian-backed Syrian government campaign to capture the last rebel-held areas. Health workers in Idlib say they are struggling to provide Syrians with needed medical care because of the destruction of hospitals and clinics during the military campaign.
The family of a young Iranian man, who was killed when Iran shot down a passenger airplane in January, says they were facing threats and intimidation following the death of their son.
Afghan civilians, exhausted by 19 years of conflict in their country, say they are looking forward to a final peace agreement Saturday between the U.S. and the Taliban.
Iran’s parliamentary elections Friday were marred by low voter turnout as hundreds of activists used social media to ask people to boycott the ballots in a sign of protest against the regime. Iranian authorities have reportedly barred hundreds of moderate candidates in favor of hardliners supported by the regime.
Parents of the victims of the Peshawar Army Public School terror attack in 2014 claimed by Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan demand to know the whereabouts of Ehsanullah Ehsan, the former spokesperson of the terror group who allegedly escaped from a prison in Pakistan this week.
A U.S. military convoy was attacked Wednesday by pro-Syrian government militia fighters in northeast Syria. In response, U.S. soldiers opened fire, allegedly killing one militiaman. VOA’s Zana Omar reports from Qamishli, Syria.
Syria's civil war, which has killed more than 500,000 people and displaced millions since it started in 2011, has drawn in several foreign powers to the country, including the United States, Russia, Iran and Turkey. Here is a map of where the four main foreign players are in the Syrian territory.
After surviving the Islamic State genocide in Sinjar, Iraq, in 2014 and being separated for five years, a Yazidi family of nine finally had a happy reunion in Germany. VOA's Mahmut Bozarslan filed this report from Midyat, Turkey.
U.S. forces again have allegedly blocked Russian military convoys from entering the Kurdish-controlled areas of northeast Syria. VOA’s Zana Omar reports from the region.
IRIB, Iran’s giant state broadcaster, made no apology for disseminating the false denials and found itself under severe criticism from smaller, officially licensed news websites that acknowledged being misled by Iranian officials and asked readers for forgiveness
A night of vigils for the victims of a Ukrainian passenger airliner mistakenly shot down by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps erupted into anti-government protests nationwide Saturday. The eventual acceptance of responsibility for the downed airline after days of cover-up by the Iranian regime angered people who protested in cities across the country against Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, and the IRGC.
The U.S. has deployed tens of thousands of troops across the Middle East region, many of them stationed in countries near Iran. Here is a look at U.S. troops in each country in the region at a time of high tensions between the U.S. and Iran.
Afghan officials say they are closely investigating pictures that show the new commander of Iran's Quds Force, Esmail Qaani, on an official visit in Bamiyan Province in 2018. VOA's Rahim Gul Sarwan reports from Kabul.
Iran's top commander Qassem Soleimani was killed last week in a U.S. airstrike in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad. Soleimani, who led Iran's elite Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), was the architect of many Shi'ite and pro-Iranian proxy militia groups across the region known as the "Axis of Resistance." Here is a look at those groups.
A look at Qassem Soleimani, Iran's most powerful commander, who was killed in a U.S. airstrike, Jan. 3, 2020. He was responsible for designing and implementing Iran's proxy warfare and destabilizing efforts in several countries in Middle East.
The Afghan government, claiming progress in the ongoing war against militants, is downplaying The Washington Post's recent report that said U.S. officials made overly optimistic statements about the war that they knew to be false.The Washington Post this week published a trove of government documents, revealing that U.S. officials made false statements and hid evidence about the years long conflict.Fawad Aman, a spokesperson for the Afghan Ministry of Defense, downplayed the Post report, telling VOA Tuesday that the Afghan forces have made tremendous progress in fighting the militants."If we have a comparative glance at the war in Afghanistan, we have had tremendous progress in the past two years," Aman told VOA."For instance, we destroyed IS-K (Islamic State-Khurasan) in eastern Afghanistan. In addition, due to our military operations, Taliban suffered many casualties this year. Taliban’s offensive capabilities have been taken away from them. We are progressing well and Afghan security forces are making progress and we are optimistic about the future," he added.Meanwhile, the Pentagon has denied intentionally misleading the public about the war in Afghanistan."There has been no intent by DoD (Department of Defense) to mislead Congress or the public," Pentagon spokesperson Lt. Col. Thomas Campbell wrote to VOA on Monday. "The information contained in the interviews was provided to SIGAR (Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction) for the express purpose of inclusion in SIGAR's public reports."Implications of the revelationAnalysts have had mixed reactions, however, about whether the recent report reveals anything major that has not been published over the years by the U.S. government’s watchdog, tasked with overseeing U.S. military expenditure in the country. The report has also renewed debate over U.S. engagement in Afghanistan,Michael Semple, a longtime expert on Afghanistan, said he thinks that, except for some details, the new report does not reveal anything that was not already known."For anyone who has followed Afghanistan closely ..., there is nothing new in the latest Washington Post report. A bit more detail, yes, and an updated commentary," Semple said."The main themes in the interviews the WP (Washington Post) obtained were confusion, private pessimism, public optimism and corruption," he added. "But these themes have been debated for the past 18 years. And to be fair to the Inspector General, who commissioned these interviews, his team has already published a useful series of reports based on the interviews."SIGAR was created by the U.S. Congress to provide independent and objective oversight of ...
Dozens of Afghan activists participated in a candlelight vigil Thursday near the Japanese Embassy in Kabul to mourn for Tetsu Nakamura, a physician and longtime aid worker who was fatally shot with five other people in eastern Afghanistan this week. VOA's Rahim Gul Sarwan reports.
Artillery fire from the Turkish-controlled area on the town of Tal Rifaat in northwest Syria’s Aleppo governorate killed at least ten civilians and injured 21 others, according to local sources.Ibrahim Haftaro, the head of Avrin Hospital in the region, told VOA that eight children, between 7-15 years of age, were among the Kurdish civilians killed in the Monday attack.“The majority of those killed, eight of them, are children; one is an elderly man over 60 years of age, and the other is a woman,” Haftaro said, adding that among the injured, two were in a critical condition.Newroz Resho, the VOA stringer at the scene, said the majority of the casualties from the attack were residents of Afrin who were displaced in early 2018 following a Turkish incursion. The artillery landed in downtown Tal Rifaat near the town’s elementary school and a building belonging to the Kurdish Red Cross.According to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), the children were leaving the school when the area came under attack. It said it was unclear if the attack came directly from Turkish fire or its allied militants.“Turkey is the responsible party for the violations committed by the rebels it is backing because Turkey is supervising the area,” SOHR’s head Rami Abdul Rahman told VOA.He said the town has for months witnessed continued shelling from Turkey and its aligned rebels.Located about 12 kilometers south of Turkey's border with Syria, Kurds have maintained influence in Tal Rifaat despite the full Turkish control of nearby Afrin in March 2018. The strategic town has also been a site of Russian military activities in recent months.YPG a key allyKurdish fighters, known as People's Protection Units or YPG, have been a key ally to the United States in the fight against the Islamic State (IS). Turkey, however, says the group poses a grave threat to its national security.The Turkish military and its allied Syrian rebels through Operation Olive Branch in early 2018 ousted the YPG from most of the predominantly Kurdish city of Afrin in the Syrian northwest. The military, in a separate operation in October, attacked Kurdish forces in the northeast, inviting a strong condemnation from its NATO allies.Turkish officials say they cannot tolerate along their borders any presence of the YPG, which Ankara sees as a terrorist organization and an extension of the Turkey-based Kurdistan Workers Party ( PKK), a U.S. and EU designated terror ...
Islamic State militants have increased their activity in some northern Iraqi provinces. Local residents say IS recently kidnapped and threatened to kill civilians in the area, forcing many to flee their homes. VOA's Dilshad Anwar filed this report narrated by Sirwan Kajjo.
About 250 Islamic State fighters have surrendered to Afghan security forces in eastern Nangarhar province, a traditional IS stronghold. Dozens of women and children have surrendered as well. Officials told VOA they would work toward deradicalizing those of Afghan origin and eventually would unite them with their families. The Kabul government has yet to determine the fate of the non-Afghan detainees. VOA's Zabihullah Ghazi reports.
The Iranian government's reaction to protests against a gas price hike has been turning increasingly deadly. Security forces have reportedly opened fire at protesters in various cities across the country. Here is a look at the recent developments that triggered the nationwide protests in Iran.
Shelling that targeted the northeast Syrian town of Qamishli, amid a Turkish incursion to oust Syrian Democratic Forces, has forever changed the life of Sara Hossein, 8, who lost a leg and her 13-year-old brother in the bombing. Rebaz Majeed reports for VOA.
Shelling that targeted the northeast Syrian town of Qamishli amid a Turkish incursion to oust Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) has forever changed the life of Sara Hossein, 8, who lost her 13-year-old brother in the bombing. She herself lost a leg. Rebaz Majeed reports for VOA.
Intense clashes continue between Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and Turkish-backed militants in the northeastern Syrian town of Tal Tamr, despite a U.S. push for cease-fire, local officials said Friday. Kurdish officials told VOA that firefights in the villages of Anek al-Hawa, Tal Muhammad, Khirbet Jammu and Mahmudiya continued as Syrian militia, supported by Turkey, attempted to enter Tal Tamr from seven kilometers outside town. 'We will have victory' "Yesterday, we faced fierce attacks and there was a lot of resistance," Benas Ziber, an SDF field commander, told VOA. "We lost some villages, but our comrades later repelled the attacks and made progress in some villages, such as Mahmudiya and Khirbet Jammu." Ziber said fighting later focused on Qasimiyah and Mahmudiya villages as SDF fighters tried to repel advances by Turkish-backed forces. He said the SDF was determined to fight back, vowing, "We will have victory and will not give up one meter of our land." The reports of fighting came as U.S. officials said they were continuing to push both sides to halt the clashes and stick to a cease-fire that the U.S. and Turkey brokered last month. U.S. officials said the cease-fire deal was "mostly" holding despite repeated violations. FILE - U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, left, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan are pictured at the presidential palace in Ankara, Turkey, Oct. 17, 2019.U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday said that in a telephone conversation the day before with his Turkish counterpart, Mevlut Cavusoglu, he reaffirmed the U.S. position, emphasizing the need for both sides to stick to the agreement struck by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and U.S. Vice President Mike Pence on Oct. 17. "The secretary noted our position requiring that the Turkish military, the Turkish-supported Syrian opposition forces, and the withdrawal of YPG forces be in accordance with the statement regarding the safe zone," the U.S. State Department said in a statement. The YPG is the Kurdish component of the SDF and is considered a terrorist organization by Turkey. The U.S., however, disagrees with the designation and considers the YPG a key ally in the fight against the Islamic State. Incursion into SyriaThe Turkish military and its allied Syrian militia on Oct. 9 started a military incursion into northeast Syria against the SDF, following U.S. President Donald Trump's earlier decision to withdraw U.S. troops from the region. The U.N. estimates the operation killed hundreds and displaced nearly 180,000 people before an agreement was reached between the U.S. and Turkey to halt fire. Local doctors in northeast Syria told VOA that 206 civilians had died in the fighting, with ...
Iraqi Kurdish officials say at least 12,000 people have crossed the border from Syria, seeking safety in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. The influx of refugees started three weeks ago after Turkey and its allied Syrian militia fighters began a military offensive against Syrian Kurdish fighters. VOA's Kawa Omar reports from Bardarash, Iraq.
The family of Ali Wezir is in agony in Syria’s Kurdish town of Hasakah after hearing that Wezir has set himself on fire outside the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland to protest a Turkish incursion in northeast Syria. VOA’s Zana Omar reports.
Hasan Muhammed was among more than 3 million Syrian refugees who fled their homes to escape war and seek safety in Turkey. He recently died in the Turkish area of Mardin amid clashes between the Turkish military and Kurdish forces.
Sabah Muhammad Ismail, 62, is living by herself in Mosul’s ruined Old City after her husband and many of her relatives were killed during the war against the Islamic State (IS) terror group. VOA’s Kawa Omar reports.
Citing an escalation of violence by Islamic State-affiliated women, supervisors at the al-Hol camp in northeastern Syria are calling on the international community to find a solution for thousands of such women and children who are being held at the overcrowded refugee camp. VOA’s Mutlu Civiroglu reports from the al-Hol camp.
The U.S.-led Global Coalition to Defeat the Islamic State (IS) was announced five years ago. Despite defeating the terror group militarily, some experts believe IS still poses a major threat to global security. Sirwan Kajjo reports from Washington.
Nearly two years later, the Syrian city of Raqqa, the former de facto capital of Islamic State (IS) terror group, continues to suffer from the aftermath of the war against the Islamic State. Recently, a new mass grave was unearthed that contained more than 200 bodies of IS victims. Sirwan Kajjo reports from Raqqa, Syria.
Life is a constant struggle for Zikra Ahmed who lost her husband and three children during the war against the Islamic State in Mosul. Her remaining two daughters, who were disabled by the war, tell VOA they need to depend on charity to pay for their medicine. VOA’s Kawa Omar reports.
Once considered the Islamic State’s de facto capital, the Syrian city of Raqqa is slowly recovering, nearly two years after its liberation from the terror group.U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) liberated Raqqa from IS in October 2017. But during the 3-month-long battle, much of the city’s infrastructure was reduced to rubble.Local officials complain the international coalition to defeat IS, which helped free the city, lost interest in rebuilding Raqqa as the focus has shifted to other areas recently liberated from IS.“We used to meet second-tier coalition officials – sometimes from the first tier,” said Abdullah Aryan, head of the planning department at the Raqqa Civil Council, which has been largely responsible for reconstruction.“But now we only get visits by an employee from the French ministry of defense or British ministry of agriculture or an employee responsible for civil society in the U.S. government,” he told VOA.Raqqa’s main church was destroyed during the battle against IS in 2017, in Raqqa, Syria, July 20, 2019. (S. Kajjo/VOA)Emergency solutionsThe lack of funding is forcing local officials to concentrate the limited money on restoring essential services, which will allow more displaced people to return.For other restoration projects, they rely on low-cost efforts.“To repair roads and bridges, we had to use primitive methods. We basically brought rubble from elsewhere in the city and used it to backfill destroyed bridges and roads,” Abdullah al-Ali, an engineer with the Raqqa Reconstruction Committee, said.“We have too little money for anything more than this emergency solution,” al-Ali added.According to local officials, the battle against IS destroyed nine main bridges over the Euphrates River and nearby irrigation canals. So far only three bridges have been repaired.Al-Naeem Square in downtown Raqqa was turned by IS militants into a public execution ground, in Raqqa, Syria, July 20, 2019. (S. Kajjo/VOA)City in ruinsUpon returning, Raqqa residents find much of the city still littered with wreckage.“We found our properties were knocked to the ground,” said Abdulkarim Issa, 41, who returned to Raqqa five months after it was liberated.Issa pointed to a nearby building, destroyed in fighting, but that recently had been rebuilt. “But the owners of another building were asked to pay 1 billion Syrian pounds (roughly US $2 million) to rebuild it. But they didn’t have that money, so they went to regime-controlled areas,” he told VOA.The deteriorating local economy makes some returnees question their decision. “The economic situation is bad,” said Um ...
Nematullah Bakhtyar, a member of the Afghan National Army (ANA), was thought to have been killed while fighting the Afghan insurgents in southern Afghanistan in 2018. A body was returned to the family, who held a funeral and buried the body they believed to be their son's. Almost a year later, Bakhtyar makes contact and returns home, where he was recently married. VOA’s Zabihullah Ghazi reports from Kunar, Afghanistan, about this sad war story with a happy ending.
When Ciwan Husen lost his left hand and eye at age 21 in the Kurdish fight against the Islamic State (IS) in northwest Syria, he knew his life would never be the same.In the months leading to his recovery, his efforts to overcome his physical disability and the psychological trauma of war led him to develop a talent he never knew he had: playing drums and cymbals.'I thought life was over'Living in displacement in the Shahba district of northern Aleppo Governorate, Husen has developed a love for music and plays drums even without prosthetics.“At the beginning, when I had just lost one of my hands and one of my eye(s), I thought life was over and I couldn’t do anything,” Husen told VOA, speaking of his impairment after being hit by an IS explosive in 2016.“But people around me continued to encourage me and told me to trust in God and my will. Their encouragement overtime built this confidence in me,” he added.Husen is originally from the predominantly Kurdish city of Afrin, in northwest Syria. He fled with his family in early 2018 following a Turkish attack to seize the city from Kurdish fighters.Finding his talentWhile living in Shahba, he bought a drum kit and started practicing, and found he had a talent. His goal, he says, is to become a popular musician.“Here in Shahba, I bought the instruments. I started practicing and improved myself gradually. ... I want to establish my own place as an artist. I try to go to dance parties and weddings where I can play,” he said.Unable to afford prosthetics, Husen uses bandages and armbands to tie drumsticks to his left forearm to play. His mother, Fidan Xelil, says the resilience he has shown after his injuries has gained him respect among residents in the district.“What happened didn’t cause him to give up. He sustained a high moral and became stronger. He fulfills whatever goal he has in mind. What he is doing makes us happy and proud,” Xelil told VOA.Member of the YPGHusen was a member of the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) during the war against IS in 2016. He participated in the battle to remove IS from the town of Tal Rifaat and the nearby Menagh airbase.The YPG captured the area in February 2016 and unilaterally declared it Shahba Canton of Democratic Federation of Northern Syria.Shahba region remains under Kurdish control despite ...
Women in the Syrian city of Raqqa say their lives have changed dramatically after U.S.-backed forces freed their city from the Islamic State terror group.
Afghanistan's spy agency this week arrested four Islamic State operatives, including a university professor in Kabul. The arrests come as some of the students at Kabul University, the most prestigious school in the country, express concerns that extremism is rising at some of the country's educational institutions, including Kabul University. VOA's Haseeb Maudoodi reports from Kabul.
An Afghan man who was imprisoned by the government for allegedly collaborating with the Taliban is now mourning the death of his son who had joined the Afghan army and was killed by the Taliban insurgents. Abdul Wares, 42, a taxi driver in the Ghani Khil district of eastern Nangarhar province, spent nearly three years in prison after the Afghan armed forces found him using his vehicle to transport Taliban members. When he was released by the government earlier this month, he found that his son Tawhid had been killed while fighting the Taliban on behalf of the Afghan government. Abdul Wares told VOA he was forced and threatened by the Taliban to help move fighters through government checkpoints in Ghani Khil district. He was wounded in mid-2017 during a firefight between the army and the Taliban fighters when the latter attempted to escape a security checkpoint. 'I am a civilian' "I told the army that I am a civilian and I did this because they [Taliban] forced me to," he said. "When the Taliban tried to escape, the army fired shots and I got wounded." Abdul Wares was transported by the army to a local clinic for treatment and was later transported to a detention center on suspicion of cooperation with the Taliban. During his time in prison, Ware's son decided to join the Afghan army's fight against the Taliban. "He was telling his mother that he joined the Afghan forces to save money to buy a car so he can bring me home from jail whenever I was released," Abdul Wares said of Tawhid. Abdul Wares' younger son, Walid Khan, told VOA the death of his brother and the arrest of his father affected the physical and psychological well-being of his family. "When they brought his [Tawhid's] corpse in a coffin, my mother and sister were screaming, crying, and fainted," Walid Khan said, recalling the day when the family retrieved Tawhid's body. Relied on charity Having been left with no financial support, the family had to depend on charity to survive. The desperate financial situation prompted them to reach out to the Taliban for help, Abdul Wares said. "Few of my family members went to the Taliban to ask for help, saying that I was wounded, arrested, put in jail and lost my taxi, and now my kids are suffering due to a bad economic situation," Abdul Wares said, describing his family's plea. He said he was still in jail when his family ...