A US-backed alliance of Syrian Kurdish and Arab fighters has begun a campaign to expel Islamic State (IS) militants from land north of Raqqa. The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) is believed to have deployed about 30,000 fighters. US-led coalition warplanes will support the offensive and Russia has also given its backing. The SDF...
Turkey has arrested 12 academics for signing a declaration denouncing Ankara’s military operations against Kurdish militants. The move comes after more than 1,200 scholars were being investigated for criticizing the Turkish State. The Anadolu Agency, as cited by AP, says the 12 who were detained by police are lecturers at...