Momentum that has swept Syrian rebels to a series of swift victories over President Bashar Assad appears to have slowed in two major attacks aimed at capturing the cities of Aleppo in the north and Deraa in the south. The reasons include a determined military effort by the government and its...

A mortar round fired by Islamic State militants caused a major blaze at a Syrian government headquarters building in the northeastern city of Hasaka and firefighters had put it out, state television said on Friday. The ultra hardline jihadists hit a civilian ID and passport office...

Iraqi Shi'ite militia fighters are tightening a noose around the Islamic State-held city of Falluja west of Baghdad as the first stage of a counter-offensive in the Sunni province of Anbar, likely to determine the course of the conflict in coming months. Islamic State seized...

 Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan asked Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu to form new government, the presidential press office said on Thursday. "As of now we have started efforts to fulfill this duty and firstly we will hold talks with the chairmen of political parties," Davutoglu...