Iraq

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12 Turkish Soldiers Killed by Methane Gas

They were searching for the body of fellow soldier in an Iraqi cave

(Newser) - Twelve Turkish soldiers have died from methane gas poisoning while searching a cave in northern Iraq for the body of a fellow soldier, reports Deutsche Welle . Turkish officials said the soldiers were exposed to the gas while looking for the remains of a soldier killed during a military operation...

Iraqis Prove Their Bluffing Skills With a Single Ring

Mheibes, a national pastime of deception, dates back centuries, and Iraqis are very good at it

(Newser) - Iraq's national pastime, mheibes, is a game of deception played with a single silver ring and up to 45 men on each team. The object: Figure out which opponent has secretly stashed the ring in his fist, using only brief facial cues and other subtle tells. Writing for...

US Pulls Staff From Iraq Embassy as Iran Tensions Rise

Sources say Israeli operation against Iran could bring retaliation targeting US sites in Iraq

(Newser) - The US is pulling nonessential embassy staff and their families out of Baghdad amid rising security concerns, per the BBC . Officials haven't detailed what triggered the move announced Wednesday, but CBS News reports the decision follows warnings that Israel might launch an operation against Iran. The network's...

In Iraq, Orange Skies and Inescapable Dust

A severe sandstorm hit parts of the country this week

(Newser) - The UN considers Iraq the fifth-most vulnerable country to climate breakdown due to its heat, droughts, and sandstorms, and the problems caused by that last element were in sharp relief this week. The New York Times and AFP report a serious sandstorm hit central and southern parts of the country,...

It's the 'First Material Evidence' of World's First Empire

4K-year-old cuneiform tablets reveal the bureaucratic 'spreadsheets' of Mesopotamia

(Newser) - Archaeologists say they've found "the very first material evidence of the very first empire in the world" in 4,000-year-old cuneiform tablets unearthed in Iraq. More than 200 administrative tablets have been discovered in the ancient megacity of Girsu, now Tello, along with some 50 administrative seals, per...

7 US Troops Injured in Iraqi Raid on Suspected Militants

US defense official says service members are in stable condition after attack targeting ISIS leaders

(Newser) - The US military and Iraq launched a joint raid targeting suspected Islamic State group militants in the country's western desert that killed at least 15 people and saw seven American troops hurt, officials said Saturday. For years after dislodging the militants from their self-declared caliphate across Iraq and Syria,...

US Personnel Injured in Attack on Iraq Base

Officials say rockets were fired at al-Asad air base

(Newser) - Several US personnel were injured in a suspected rocket attack at a military base in Iraq, American defense officials said Monday. The defense officials, speaking to the AP on condition of anonymity, said troops at al-Asad air base are still assessing the damage. Earlier Monday, Iraqi security officials confirmed the...

Influencer Shot to Death by Motorcyclist in Baghdad

Ghufran Mahdi Sawadi was sentenced last year for posts deemed indecent

(Newser) - Iraqi authorities on Saturday were investigating the killing of a well-known social media influencer, who was shot by a motorcyclist in front of her home in central Baghdad. Ghufran Mahdi Sawadi, known as Um Fahad, was popular on TikTok and Instagram, where she posted videos of herself dancing to music...

US Killed Militia Leader in Baghdad Using 'Flying Ginsu'

Military says Kataib Hezbollah commander was responsible for attacks on US forces

(Newser) - When the US military killed a Kataib Hezbollah commander in downtown Baghdad last week, it did so with a weapon dubbed "the flying Ginsu," reports the Wall Street Journal , citing defense officials. It has details on the use of what's officially called the R9X: It's a...

Report: Biden Settles On His Iran Retaliation

US will reportedly strike Iranian targets, but not those inside the country itself

(Newser) - The US has approved a series of strikes in response to the drone attack that killed three service members in Jordan last weekend, CBS News reports, citing US officials—but the plan is to hit Iran-linked facilities in Iraq and Syria, not targets in Iran itself. The officials say the...

US, Iraq to Discuss Ending Coalition's Mission

American forces have repeatedly come under fire since Israel-Hamas war began

(Newser) - The US and Iraq will begin talks soon to wind down the mission of a US-led military coalition formed to fight the Islamic State group in Iraq, both governments said Thursday. The Pentagon said the size of the American military footprint in the country will be part of the discussions,...

US Launches Airstrikes on Iran-Backed Militias

Airstrikes hit targets in Iraq, Yemen

(Newser) - The US military struck three facilities in Iraq and two anti-ship missiles in Yemen operated by Iranian-backed militias that have continued to instigate attacks on US personnel and ships in the region as the US continues to try to keep the Israel-Hamas war from spilling over into a wider conflict....

Fatal Airstrike in Baghdad Was Necessary, Pentagon Says

Militia commander was killed, even as US tries to ease tensions in Middle East

(Newser) - The Pentagon defended an airstrike in Baghdad that killed a militia commander linked to Iran on Thursday, though the attack runs the risk of undercutting the Biden administration's efforts to keep the Israel-Hamas war from spreading in the Middle East. The strike was "necessary and proportionate," a...

US Servicemember Critically Injured by Iran-Backed Militants
US Launches New
Airstrikes in Iraq
Dec 26, 2023 6:03 AM CST

US Launches New Airstrikes in Iraq

Move comes after Iranian-backed militants attack US forces

(Newser) - The US conducted new retaliatory airstrikes in Iraq early Tuesday after three US servicemembers were injured in a drone attack, one of them critically, said US officials. The Iranian-backed militia Kataib Hezbollah and affiliated groups claimed credit for the attack on an air base used by American troops in Erbil...

US Forces Strike in Iraq
US Forces Strike in Iraq
Nov 22, 2023 6:28 AM CST

US Forces Strike in Iraq

At least 5 members of Kataeb Hezbollah killed in what the military said was retaliation

(Newser) - The US military struck two operations centers belonging to Iraqi Hezbollah early Wednesday in response to what it said were attacks on US bases, including the Ain al-Asad Air Base, that have escalated alongside Israel's operations against Hamas in Gaza. "We can confirm an attack last night by...

Fireworks Set Off at Wedding Spark Blaze That Kills 113

Iraq tragedy leaves 150 people injured as well

(Newser) - More than 100 people are dead after a devastating blaze that reportedly broke out after fireworks were set off at a wedding in Iraq Tuesday night. Health officials in Nineveh, the province where the wedding took place, put the death toll at 113 or 114. Another 150 people were injured,...

Iraq Bans 'Gender,' 'Homosexuality' From Use in Media

'Sexual deviance' must be used in place of 'homosexuality'

(Newser) - Iraq says all media and social media companies operating within its borders are now barred from using the terms "homosexuality" and "gender." In place of "homosexuality," the term "sexual deviance" must be used instead, Reuters reports. The new edict was issued by the Iraqi...

Protesters Try to Storm Baghdad's Green Zone

Security forces stopped them from reaching Danish embassy

(Newser) - Hundreds of protesters attempted to storm Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone, which houses foreign embassies and the seat of Iraq's government, early Saturday following reports an ultranationalist group burned a copy of the Koran in front of Iraq's embassy in Copenhagen. Security forces pushed back protesters, who...

Iraqi Protesters Storm Swedish Embassy

Iraqi protesters denounced plans to burn Koran outside country's Stockholm embassy

(Newser) - The Swedish embassy in Baghdad was stormed Thursday by hundreds of protesters angered by plans to burn a Koran outside the Iraqi embassy in Sweden. Protesters broke into the compound, which also houses the Finnish embassy, and set a small fire, the AP reports. Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom said...

Senate Votes to Repeal Measure That Green-Lit Iraq War

It seeks to end 20 years of authorization for US presidents to use force in Iraq

(Newser) - The Senate voted Wednesday to repeal the resolution that gave a green light for the 2003 invasion of Iraq, an effort to end more than 20 years of authorization for US presidents to use force in that country and return those war powers to Congress, reports the AP . The measure...

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