ISIS began waging an effective and deadly insurgency in central Syria immediately after the Syrian regime and its allies captured the area in late 2017. In the past week alone ISIS launched two simultaneous attacks in Homs, followed by a third attack in north Hama the next day. The insurgency has killed a minimum of 860 pro-regime fighters, with the true number of deaths likely being twice that. From brigadiers and ex-rebels to Republican Guard and local militias, every type of unit and soldier has been targeted by these sophisticated attacks.
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Libyan pro-government forces captured on Monday three strategic coastal cities in western Libya, the UN-backed government announced. Following clashes with eastern fighters led by military strongman Khalifa Hifter, forces loyal to the Government of National Accord (GNA) took control of Sabratha and Surman, located between the capital Tripoli and the border with Tunisia. The advances mark a major gain for the GNA, which has been locked in battle against Hifter’s self-proclaimed Libyan National Army in Tripoli for more than a year.
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aljazeera.com
Secretary of State Michael Pompeo signaled support for Iraq’s newest prime minister-designate, Mustafa al-Kadhimi, in a statement Monday. “The United States looks forward to the formation of a new Iraqi government capable of confronting the COVID-19 pandemic, ameliorating the country’s current economic distress and bringing arms under state control,” Pompeo said in a statement. Kadhimi is the third candidate to lead Iraq since former Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi resigned last year amid mass anti-government protests targeting corruption and the lack of basic services
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al-monitor.com