Iraq
71-1133: [REDACTED] Kurdistan Regional Government Allied groups: Others: [REDACTED] Iran [REDACTED] Hezbollah [REDACTED] Syria [REDACTED] CJTF–OIR [REDACTED] Islamic State [REDACTED] Haider al-Abadi [REDACTED] Nouri al-Maliki [REDACTED] Iraqi security forces 600,000 (300,000 Army and 300,000 Police ) Popular Mobilization Forces : 60,000–90,000 Awakening Council militias: 30,000 Contractors : 7,000 [REDACTED] Peshmerga: 200,000 [REDACTED] Islamic State : [REDACTED] Iraqi security forces and militias : 19,000+ killed and 29,000+ wounded [REDACTED] Peshmerga : 1,837 killed 10,546 wounded 62 missing or captured [REDACTED] Kurdistan Workers' Party : 180 killed (2014–Jan. 2016) [REDACTED] IRGC : 43 killed Liwa Zainebiyoun : 3 killed [REDACTED] CJTF–OIR : Major insurgent attacks Foreign interventions IS genocide of minorities IS war crimes Timeline The War in Iraq (2013–2017)
142-508: A brushfire that erupted in the area. On 3 November, three Syrian tanks entered the demilitarized zone in the central Golan Heights as a number of mortar shells were fired into the area. On 5 November, an Israeli army jeep was damaged by Syrian army gunfire as it patrolled the border. On 11 November, after a Syrian 120 mm mortar round hit the eastern Golan Heights, the Israeli army responded by firing an electro-optic anti-tank missile in
213-469: A suicide bomber detonated a car bomb in a crowded marketplace in the city of Khan Bani Saad during Eid al-Fitr celebrations, killing 120–130 people and injuring 130 more. Twenty more people were reported missing since the bombing. On 13 August, a suicide bomber detonated a truck bomb in a crowded marketplace in Sadr City , Baghdad , killing at least 75 people and injuring 212 more. On 27 August,
284-591: A "jihadist highway" where rebels of all stripes, including ISIL, were permitted to cross both supplies and personnel South of the border. There were various incidents including the shooting down of a Turkish Air Force jet by Syria which killed the 2 pilots and also the shooting down of a Syrian Air Force jet by Turkey, and a February 2015 raid by the Turkish army to evacuate a tiny exclave in Syria. Turkey had been allegedly supporting ISIL throughout its many incarnations as
355-590: A "lesser evil" against the Assad government. This to some extent began to change with the 2013 Reyhanlı bombings and a retaliatory airstrike in January 2014. ISIL shook this off and began its conquest of northern Iraq, followed by consolidation of territories in Northern Syria. In the summer of 2014 it began taking over the border area with Turkey, leading to hundreds of thousands of refugees coming north along
426-1017: A "retaliation" for the French role in Syrian Civil War and Iraqi War. A majority of attacks by Islamic extremists in Bangladesh since October 2015 have been claimed by ISIL. In November 2015, the ISIL magazine Dabiq published an article calling for the "revival of jihad in Bengal ". Since then, radical Islamic militants have assassinated Bangladeshi secularists, atheists, writers, bloggers, LGBT activists, Sufi and liberal Muslims, Hindu and Buddhist priests and Christian missionaries, as well as foreign expatriates from Europe and East Asia. On 1 July 2016, six gunmen stormed an upmarket restaurant in Bangladesh's capital Dhaka, killed customers of various nationalities and held hostages for nearly 12 hours, before
497-451: A $ 3.5 billion U.S.-led program to rearm the Iraqi security forces , a U.S.-led training program that provided training to nearly 200,000 Iraqi soldiers and police, the participation of the military of Iran , including troops as well as armored and air elements, and military and logistical aid provided to Iraq by Russia. On 9 December 2017, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced victory over
568-486: A Russian warplane was shot down in the Syrian-Turkey border area. Turkey claims the plane violated Turkish airspace, a claim Russia denies. Early reports from multiple Russian news agencies indicated that the plane had been downed by a ground-based strike from Syrian rebels, but Russian officials later confirmed the Turkish reports that the plane had been downed by Turkish fighter jets. According to Turkish officials,
639-843: A Shiite mosque in Kuwait City killing dozens and injuring hundreds. A campaign of Islamist attacks occurred in France, beginning with the Île-de-France attacks on 7 January 2015, between the French Government and ongoing terrorist acts committed by jihadist terror groups like AQAP and ISIL , or isolated individuals who sympathise with the jihadist movement. Since 2015 and until July 2016, eight Islamic terrorist incidents have occurred in France, including fatal attacks in Île-de-France, Saint-Quentin-Fallavier and Paris . The November 2015 attacks in Paris were motivated by ISIL as
710-846: A campaign to recapture Ramadi . On December 28, Iraq declared Ramadi liberated from ISIL forces and under the control of the Iraqi government. Iraqi armed forces regained control of Hīt and Ar-Rutbah in offensive operations in 2016 and then Fallujah as well in the Third Battle of Fallujah ending in June 2016. On 16 October 2016, the Battle of Mosul began. Kurdistan Regional Government Ancient Medieval Modern The Kurdistan Regional Government ( KRG ) ( Kurdish : حکوومەتی هەرێمی کوردستان , Hikûmetî Herêmî Kurdistan ; Arabic : حكومة إقليم كردستان , Ḥukūmat ʾIqlīm Kurdistān )
781-514: A city of 2 million people they appear[ed] to have no intention of fighting for." In August 2014, ISIL attacked the Kurds . On 1 July 2014, Masoud Barzani announced that "Iraq's Kurds will hold an independence referendum within months." In September, the 2017 Kurdistan Region independence referendum was held regarding Kurdish independence from Iraq. 92% of Iraqi Kurds participating in the referendum voted in favor of independence. The referendum
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#1732772688601852-710: A day after seizing the border crossing at Al-Qaim . According to analysts, capturing these crossings could aid ISIL in transporting weapons and equipment to different battlefields. Two days later, the Syrian Air Force bombed ISIL positions in Iraq near the Al-Qaim border post. Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki stated: "There was no coordination involved, but we welcome this action. We welcome any Syrian strike against Isis because this group targets both Iraq and Syria." At this point, The Jerusalem Post reported that
923-638: A former military commander in Mosul, accused al-Maliki of being the one who issued the order to withdraw from the city of Mosul. At its height, ISIL held 56,000 square kilometers of Iraqi territory, containing 4.5 million citizens. The war resulted in the forced resignation of al-Maliki in 2014, as well as an airstrike campaign by the United States and a dozen other countries in support of the Iraqi military , participation of American and Canadian troops (predominantly special forces) in ground combat operations,
994-569: A graphic showing the Russian plane's flight pattern, which appears to show it crossing the southern tip of Hatay Province before being shot down and crashing near Turkmen Mountain near the Syria-Turkey border. Turkey had previously warned Russia about violations to Turkish airspace, and had also warned them of strikes against civilian Syrian Turkmen living along the Turkish border. Russia has steadfastly maintained "throughout its flight,
1065-550: A hundred soldiers on both sides dead. On 21 August 2014, the al-Nusra Front invaded Lebanon near Arsal and the Bekaa Valley town of Al-Fakiha. Following a battle between them and Hezbollah, seven Hezbollah fighters and 32 Syrian terrorists died in clashes around the Syrian village of Nahleh, just over the border from Arsal. Dozens of hostages were taken back to Syria during the battle of Arsal. After fruitless negotiations,
1136-502: A massive pseudo country which has taken over much of Iraq and Syria and erased the border between the two countries in a new, multinational war. In June 2014 ISIL launched an offensive in northern Iraq taking large swaths of the country and threatening Baghdad itself, thus turning the conflict into a full-scale war that lasted until 2017. In June 2016, the Syrian Free Army , backed by the United States, overtook ISIL forces in
1207-652: A piece of Iraqi heritage. Jonah's tomb was an important holy site in the Jewish heritage as well. A few days later, ISIL also blew up the Nabi Shiyt (Prophet Seth ) shrine in Mosul . Sami al-Massoudi, deputy head of the Shia endowment agency which oversees holy sites, confirmed the destruction and added that ISIL had taken artifacts from the shrine to an unknown location. In an August offensive , ISIL captured Sinjar after it
1278-401: A result, an estimated 180,000 civilians (including refugees of the previous Anbar offensive) attempted to flee the area. Later that month, Operation Ashura was launched by Iraqi forces and Iranian-backed Shia militias, scoring a major victory and retaking the strategic town of Jurf al-Sakhar near Baghdad, and securing the way for millions of Shia pilgrims who were going to Karbala and Najaf On
1349-470: A suicide bomber assassinated General Abdel Rahman Abu Ragheef, deputy commander of operations in the province of Anbar, and Brigadier Safeen Abdel Majeed, a divisional commander. ISIL forces lost Sinjar on November 13 to Kurdish forces. During 16–17 December, ISIL forces mounted a major offensive north-east of Mosul against Kurdish position but were repelled. Starting December 22, the Iraqi Army began
1420-806: Is illegal in Jordan. Since October 2014, Jordan has been an active part of the anti-ISIS coalition, contributing to the American-led campaign of airstrikes. Two incidents occurred in January 2016. On 23 January Jordanian armed forces spokesman stated that a total of 36 armed men tried to infiltrate the border and an engagement with Jordanian border patrol left 12 dead while the rest retreated back into Syria. They were found to have 2,000,000 drug pills. The spokesperson also stated that "Jordan will not tolerate any infiltration attempt and will strike with an iron fist to whoever tries to disrupt Jordanian national security". On 25 January, two armed men tried to infiltrate
1491-463: Is the official executive body of the semi-autonomous Kurdistan Region in northern Iraq . The cabinet is selected by the majority party or list who also select the prime minister of the Iraqi Kurdish polity . The president is directly elected by the electorate of the region and is the head of the cabinet and chief of state who delegates executive powers to the cabinet. The prime minister
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#17327726886011562-561: Is traditionally the head of the legislative body but also shares executive powers with the president. The President of Kurdistan Region is also the commander-in-chief of the Peshmerga . From mid-2013 to mid-2014, the KRG "built up their own defenses by creating a security belt stretching more than 1,000 km (600 miles) from the Iranian border all the way to Syria – skirting around Mosul,
1633-760: Is unfolding in Sinjar." In addition, during this latest offensive, the Islamic State advanced to within 30 km of the Iraqi Kurdish capital of Erbil in northern Iraq. Prompted by the siege and killings of the Yazidis, on 7 August, President Obama authorized targeted airstrikes in Iraq against ISIL , along with airdrops of aid. The UK offered the US assistance with surveillance and refueling, and planned humanitarian airdrops to Iraqi refugees. The US asserted that
1704-529: The Day of Ashura . Kurdish forces, meanwhile, recaptured Zummar . On 21 October, ISIL seized terrain north of the Sinjar Mountains, thus cutting the area's escape route to Kurdish areas. The Yazidi militias then withdrew from there into the mountains, where the number of Yazidi civilian refugees was estimated at 2,000–7,000. The mountains had once again been partially surrounded by ISIL. In mid-November,
1775-455: The Hezbollah claimed that it was in the midst of a major battle with IS, which it claimed had invaded Lebanon and seized territory. With a thousand-mile border with Syria and Iraq, there have been a number of incidents involving this nation with various factions in the conflicts south of the border. Openly supporting the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad Turkey permitted the establishment of
1846-418: The Iraqi army retook control of most of the strategic city Baiji from the Islamic State and broke the siege of the nearby oil refinery. However, by the following month, ISIL recaptured Baiji and reestablished the siege of the refinery. On 17 December, Peshmerga forces, backed by 50 US-led coalition airstrikes on ISIL positions, launched an offensive to liberate Sinjar and to break the partial ISIL siege of
1917-670: The Libyan National Army during the Battle of Derna . ISIL in Libya posted a video online on 15 February 2015 depicting the killing of 21 Egyptian Copts . The video bore similarities to previous videos showing the "execution" of Western and Japanese hostages, including the orange jumpsuits worn by the victims and the method of killing by decapitation . Egypt responded to the video by launching airstrikes against targets in Derna. On 26 June 2015, ISIL militants blew up
1988-523: The Obama administration had requested US$ 500 million from the US Congress to use in the training and arming of "moderate" Syrian rebels fighting against the Syrian government, in order to counter the growing threat posed by ISIL in Syria and Iraq. On 29 June, ISIL announced the establishment of a new caliphate . Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was appointed its caliph , and group formally changed its name to
2059-558: The PKK killed a Turkish soldier and wounded 2 more in Adıyaman . Some PKK supporters then claimed responsibility for 23 July killing of two Turkish police officers in Ceylanpinar, describing it as a retaliation. There have been several incidents on the 375 km long border between Syria and Jordan. Jordan hosts nearly 600,000 registered Syrian refugees—although Jordanian officials say
2130-659: The President of Iraqi Kurdistan in the Kurdish autonomous region of Iraq . Assyrian forces included: Nineveh Plain Protection Units , Nineveh Plain Forces , Babylon Brigades , Kataib Rouh Allah Issa Ibn Miriam , Qaraqosh Protection Committee and Dwekh Nawsha . In the course of their Anbar campaign , ISIL militants and their baathist allies seized at least 70% of Al Anbar Governorate by June 2014, including
2201-531: The Second Battle of Tikrit began and after more than a month of hard fighting, Iraqi government troops and pro-Iranian Shiite militias overcame ISIL fighters and took Tikrit. Shia groups claimed that they had killed Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri but this was later debunked This success was off-set in late May, by ISIL's capture of the provincial capital of Ramadi in Anbar Governorate. On 17 July,
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2272-729: The Siege of Kobani created an unprecedented wave of Kurdish refugees into Turkey. Some of the Kurds accused Turkey of assisting the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) during the crisis, resulting in widespread Kurdish riots in Turkey involving dozens of fatalities. The tensions further escalated in summer 2015 with the 20 July bombing in Suruç , allegedly executed by an ISIL-affiliated Turkish group against Kurdish supporters. On 21 July,
2343-419: The capture of Mosul . On 29 June 2014, the group renamed itself as the " Islamic State " (IS) and declared itself as a Caliphate . The Akashat ambush was a well planned assault against a Syrian Army convoy defended by Iraqi soldiers that took place on 4 March 2013, as the group was travelling in the province of Anbar , next to the border with Syria. The Islamic State of Iraq claimed responsibility for
2414-627: The Druze minority. On 10 February 2018, an Iranian drone was reported to have entered Israeli airspace, which was shot down by the Israeli Air Force . In retaliation, the IAF struck Iranian targets inside Syria. During the attack on the Iranian targets, Syrian anti-air defense systems shot down an Israeli F-16 fighter jet. The takeover of the city of Derna in Cyrenaica , Libya by
2485-419: The Islamic State. Between 4–9 June 2014, the city of Mosul was attacked and later fell ; following this, Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki called for a national state of emergency on 10 June. However, despite the security crisis, Iraq's parliament did not allow Maliki to declare a state of emergency; many legislators boycotted the session because they opposed expanding the prime minister's powers. Ali Ghaidan,
2556-545: The Islamic State. Four days later, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the self-proclaimed caliph of the new Islamic State, said that Muslims should unite to capture Rome in order to "own the world." He called on Muslims all over the world to unite behind him as their leader. On 24 July, ISIL blew up the Mosque and tomb of the Prophet Yunus (Jonah) in Mosul, with no reported casualties. Residents in the area said that ISIL had erased
2627-462: The Islamic State. The Islamic State switched to guerrilla "hit and run" tactics in an effort to undermine the Iraqi government's effort to eradicate it. This conflict is interpreted by some in Iraq as a spillover of the Syrian Civil War . Other Iraqis and observers see it mainly as a culmination of long-running local sectarianism, exacerbated by the 2003–2011 Iraq War , the subsequent increase in anti-Sunni sectarianism under Prime Minister al-Maliki, and
2698-646: The Israeli-occupied part of the Golan Heights plateau on Sunday, 14 July 2013. On 22 and 23 June 2015 two ambulances transporting wounded Syrian rebels were attacked by Druze protesters in the Golan Heights. One of the injured persons was killed in the incident. The attacks followed an interview with a rebel who had been treated in Israel and promised to come back to Syria to fight against
2769-564: The Lebanese cabinet voted to authorize the army to invade Syria to free them on 4 September 2014, something that they have yet to do. There was another attempted invasion of Lebanon by a joint IS-Nusra force in early October, which was beaten back by Hezbullah, and in January 2015. In December 2015, after over a year and a half in captivity, Lebanese troops held prisoner by Al Nusra were exchanged for prisoners held in Lebanon. In June 2015,
2840-579: The Mosul Dam. On 31 August, the United States, France, United Kingdom and Australia began humanitarian aid drops of food, water and medical supplies to help prevent a potential massacre against the Shia Turkmen minority in Amirli. The US also carried out air strikes on ISIL positions around and near Amirli. Iraqi officials stated that they had reached Amirli and broken the siege and that the military
2911-412: The Russian jet, an SU-24 , was shot down by two Turkish F-16 jets after multiple requests (10 requests in a five-minute span) for the Russian jet to change its course. Turkey maintains that the Russian jet violated its airspace, flying over Turkish territory despite warnings to change course, while Russia states that its jet never entered Turkish airspace and was over Syria the whole time. Turkey produced
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2982-462: The Sinjar Mountains. In less than two days, the siege was broken. After ISIL forces retreated, Kurdish fighters were initially faced with the clearing out mines around the area, but quickly opened a land corridor to those mountains, enabling Yazidis to be evacuated. The operation left 100 ISIL fighters dead. Later on 21 December, Syrian Kurdish YPG fighters south of the mountain range reached Peshmerga lines, thus linking their two fronts. The next day,
3053-492: The Sunni sheikh Ahmed Al-Assir , who is against Hezbollah's involvement in Syria , and the Lebanese army has killed at least 15 of its soldiers. At the beginning of summer 2012, two Hezbollah militants were killed in a clash with Syrian rebels who were on Lebanese territory. On 17 September, Syrian Ground-attack aircraft fired three missiles 500 metres (1,600 ft) over the border into Lebanese territory near Arsal . It
3124-633: The Syrian Civil War Foreign intervention in behalf of Syrian rebels U.S.-led intervention against ISIL Following the outbreak of the protests of Syrian revolution during the Arab Spring in 2011 and the escalation of the ensuing conflict into a full-scale civil war by mid-2012, the Syrian Civil War became a theatre of proxy warfare between various regional powers such as Turkey and Iran . Spillover of
3195-543: The Syrian army, but that Lebanese in Syria were only protecting Lebanese inhabited villages from the Free Syrian Army. In August 2014, the Syrian air force bombed the Lebanese side of the border. In December of that year, they used barrel bombs on suspected rebel installations northwest of Arsal. From 2–5 August 2014, the Lebanese Army clashed with Syrian gunmen in the town of Arsal , which left over
3266-747: The Syrian civil war into the wider region began when the Iraqi insurgent group known as the Islamic State of Iraq (ISI) started intervening in the conflict in 2012. In 2012, ISI began transporting its fighters, arms and supplies to Syria. In April 2013, ISI renamed itself as the "Islamic State of Iraq and Levant" (ISIL), officially announcing its expansion into Syria. Throughout 2013, ISIL fought Syrian opposition groups , gaining control of numerous villages, towns and cities in eastern and northern Syria. In late 2013, ISIL launched its Anbar campaign into regions of Western Iraq and captured Fallujah in January 2014. In June 2014, ISIL captured vaste swathes of territory during its Northern Iraq offensive , culminating in
3337-544: The YPG broke through ISIL lines, thus opening a corridor from Syria to the town of Sinjar. By the evening, the Peshmerga took control of much of Sinjar. In late January, the Iraqi armed forces recaptured the entire province of Diyala from the Islamic State. Furthermore, 21 January saw the launching of the Mosul offensive (2015) in which Peshmerga forces captured large amount of territory surrounding Mosul . On 2 March,
3408-518: The administrative center of the Salahuddin Governorate, with the ultimate goal of capturing Baghdad , the Iraqi capital. ISIL was believed to have only 2,000–3,000 fighters up until the Mosul campaign, but during that campaign, it became evident that this number was a gross underestimate. There were also reports that the number of Sunni groups in Iraq that were opposed to the predominantly Shia government had joined ISIL, thus bolstering
3479-462: The aircraft remained exclusively above Syrian territory." In response, Russian president Vladimir Putin stated that the attack was "a stab in the back by the accomplices of terrorists." The 2015 conflict between Turkey and the PKK broke out following two year-long peace negotiations, which began in late 2012, but failed to progress in light of the growing tensions on border with Syria in late 2014, when
3550-710: The ambush on 11 March. 51 Syrian soldiers were killed in the clashes. In March 2013, a source from Sinjar hospital said that Free Syrian Army attacked Iraqi soldiers after entering Iraqi territories. This led to greater fighting throughout the country, Operation al-Shabah in May 2013 in which the Iraqi Army failed to wipe these militias out and the consolidation of several of them with ISIL. Armed conflict broke out in Al Anbar Governorate in late 2013 and by January 2014, Islamic State had mutated and grown into
3621-424: The border from Syria. Since then, attempted militant infiltration into Jordan has become commonplace. Some of this was due to the return of Jordanian citizens who, as jihadists, went to fight in Syria for a while and decided to go home for various reasons. According to reports, there are over 2000 Jordanian Jihadis fighting in Syria. Over a hundred have been arrested and charged for crossing the border to fight, which
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#17327726886013692-578: The border town of al-Bukamal . The city is essential to a key route linking eastern Syria to Iraq. However, in the hours following IS launched a counteroffensive and retook al-Bukamal, with the Syrian Free Army suffering significant casualties. As of 10 May 2017, IS has maintained control over al-Bukamal and the key route linking Syria and Iraq. IS has additionally conducted attacks near the Waled-Tanif Border Crossing to
3763-516: The border, riots, the use of teargas, rubber bullets, and live ammunition, as well the end of the truce with the PKK . A vote to authorize military action was passed by the Turkish parliament on 2 October 2014. However, it had no follow-through and further rioting ensued through much of Turkey's cities as the government demanded more and more conditions to join in the war. The riots intensified and several dozen protesters have been killed. The relationship between ISIL and Turkey deteriorated during
3834-436: The borders and were killed. They were found to have 2600 palm-sized bags of cannabis and 2.4 million Captagon pills. On 25 September 2012, several mortar shells landed in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights , landing in an open area adjacent to the border fence. Overall, throughout October and early November, several Syrian mortar and light artillery shells hit the Golan Heights. One mortar round may have been responsible for
3905-468: The cities of Fallujah , Al Qaim , and half of the provincial capital of Ramadi . ISIL forces also infiltrated Abu Ghraib in Baghdad Governorate . In early June 2014, following further large-scale offensives in Iraq , ISIL and their allies seized control of Mosul , the second most populous city in Iraq, the nearby town of Tal Afar and most of the surrounding Nineveh Governorate . ISIL also captured parts of Kirkuk and Diyala Governorates and Tikrit ,
3976-409: The direction of a Syrian mortar crew, but they deliberately missed them, intending it as a warning shot. On 12 November, another Syrian mortar shell struck the Golan Heights, and Israeli tanks deployed along the border responded by targeting two Syrian mortar launchers. A direct hit was confirmed. A shell fired from Syria, where insurgents and government troops are locked in fierce fighting, exploded in
4047-446: The end of the month. In addition, Australia offered 200 special forces to the Kurds and 600 Australian troops landed in the UAE. The following month, Australia authorized its special forces troops to go to Iraq as part of the anti-ISIL coalition that day, as well as authorizing airstrikes. In mid-October ISIL forces captured the city of Hīt after the 300-strong Iraqi Army garrison abandoned and set fire to its local base and supplies. As
4118-411: The ensuing bloody crack-down on the 2012–2013 Iraqi protests . The Iraqi Armed Forces , Kurdish Peshmerga and various Turkmen Muslim , Assyrian Christian , Yezidi , Shabaki , and Armenian Christian forces faced the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant . Although some 35,000 Kurdish Peshmerga were incorporated into the Iraqi Armed Forces, most Peshmerga forces operated under the command of
4189-475: The group numbers. However, the Kurds —who are mostly Sunnis—in the northeast of Iraq, were unwilling to be drawn into the conflict, and there were clashes in the area between ISIL and the Kurdish Peshmerga . On 12 June 2014 ISIL killed 1,700 unarmed Iraqi Air Force cadets who were caught trying to flee to safety and released many images of mass executions via its Twitter feed and various websites. In late June, ISIL militants captured two key crossings in Anbar,
4260-543: The hills by the Lebanese Army , who detained and later released some rebels due to pressure from dignified locals. Michel Sleiman praised the actions taken by the military as maintaining Lebanon's position being "neutral from the conflicts of others". He called on border residents to "stand beside their army and assist its members." Syria has repeatedly called for an intensified crackdown on rebels that it claims are hiding in Lebanese border towns. In October 2012 Hassan Nasrallah denied Hezbollah members were fighting alongside
4331-404: The self-declared Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) took place in late 2014. In November 2014, Wilayat Darnah (the province of Darnah) or Wilayat Barqah (Province of Eastern Libya) was declared an integral part the so-called "Islamic State". ISIL controlled the city from October 2014 until it fell to the Shura Council of Mujahideen in Derna in June 2015 who were subsequently defeated by
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#17327726886014402-651: The south, and west of Mosul in the north. The significant territorial control ISIL maintains surrounding al-Bukamal allows for relatively easy passage between the two nations. The Syrian Civil War has led to incidents of sectarian violence in northern Lebanon between supporters and opponents of the Assad government , and armed clashes between Sunnis and Alawites in Tripoli . Fighting between rebels and government forces has spilled into Lebanon on several occasions. The Syrian Arab Air Force has conducted air strikes on targets in Lebanon, while rebels have launched rockets on Hezbollah targets. Fighting between supporters of
4473-436: The spring and summer of 2015, leading to sniping at the border and airstrikes by the Turks. On 22 February 2015, the Turkish army invaded Syria via Kobani and drove to the Tomb of Suleyman Shah , which was dismantled and brought back to Turkey. The 40 guards, who were due to return home months before, were also rescued. About 100 military vehicles, including 39 tanks, were involved along with 572 military personnel, one of which
4544-401: The systematic destruction of the Yazidi people by the Islamic State was genocide. The Arab League also accused the Islamic State of committing crimes against humanity. On 13 August, US airstrikes and Kurdish ground forces broke the ISIL siege of Mount Sinjar. Also, five days later, Iraqi Special Operations Forces with Kurdish Peshmerga and US air support, overran ISIL militants and reclaimed
4615-435: The total number is 1.4 million. Heavy shelling aimed at Daraa in Syria has accidentally hit the Jordanian side of the border from time to time, usually causing only light or no damage. However, there have been occurrences where armed men have been killed or injured in engagements with Jordanian border patrols soldiers. In April 2014, the Jordanian Air Force launched an airstrike on soldiers trying to illegally cross
4686-462: Was abandoned by the Peshmerga , and a number of other towns in the north of the country. Almost 200,000 civilians, mostly Yazidis , managed to flee from the fighting in Sinjar city, about 50,000 of them fled into the Sinjar Mountains , where they were trapped without food, water or medical care, facing starvation and dehydration. They had been threatened with death if they refused conversion to Islam. A UN representative said that "a humanitarian tragedy
4757-431: Was an armed conflict between Iraq and its allies and the Islamic State . Following December 2013, the insurgency escalated into full-scale guerrilla warfare following clashes in the cities of Ramadi and Fallujah in parts of western Iraq, and culminated in the Islamic State offensive into Iraq in June 2014, which lead to the capture of the cities of Mosul , Tikrit and other cities in western and northern Iraq by
4828-432: Was fighting to clear the areas around the town. This is known to be the first major turning point against ISIL in Iraq . In September, the United States sent an additional 250 troops to protect American personnel, while the first engagement of the British military against ISIL targets took place when a British Panavia Tornado jet dropped a Paveway IV bomb on "a heavy weapon position" operated by ISIL in northwest Iraq at
4899-520: Was killed in an accident. Thirty to thirty-six Turkish soldiers were stationed there to guard the tomb. An attack on the tomb, considered Turkish territory under a 1921 Franco-Turkish agreement, was under threat earlier in the year, prompting the government to declare that it would retaliate against any such attack, and would serve as a casus belli . The Syrian government said the raid was an act of "flagrant aggression" and that it would hold Ankara responsible for its repercussions. On 24 November 2015,
4970-490: Was regarded as illegal by the federal government in Baghdad , and on 6 November, Iraq's Supreme Federal Court ruled that no Iraqi province was allowed to secede in order to preserve the unity of Iraq. On 14 November, the KRG announced it would respect the Supreme Federal Court's ruling, stating that "this decision must become a basis for starting an inclusive national dialogue between (Kurdish authorities in) Erbil and Baghdad to resolve all disputes". Spillover of
5041-406: Was suggested that the jets were chasing rebels in the vicinity. The attack prompted Lebanese president Michel Sleiman to launch an investigation, whilst not publicly blaming Syria for the incident. On 22 September 2012, a group of armed members of the Free Syrian Army attacked a border post near Arsal . This was reported to be the second incursion within a week. The group were chased off into
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