Rappler's latest stories on Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
Britain's Cameron urges use of 'Daesh' for ISIS
Daesh is clearly an improvement and I think it s important that we all try to use this language says the British Prime Minister
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Gov't engineer, Facebook recruiters among Malaysia ISIS arrests
Those arrested range in age from 14 to 48 years old and include two women
Syria raids on jihadist bastion kill 53, mostly civilians: NGO
The strikes come amid a stepped up campaign by President Bashar al Assad s regime targeting IS positions in northern and eastern Syria
ISIS crucifies 8 men in Syria's Aleppo: NGO
A Britain based NGO says the ISIS in Syria has publicly executed and crucified nine men eight of them rebels fighting both President Bashar al Assad s regime and the jihadists
Clashes near Tikrit as Iraqi troops strike back
Iraqi forces press a campaign to retake militant held Tikrit clashing with Sunni fighters nearby and pounding positions inside the city with air strikes in their biggest counter offensive so far
Obama seeks $500M to train, equip Syrian rebels
The proposed fund would serve vetted elements of the Syrian armed opposition to help defend the Syrian people the White House says
Kerry to visit Saudi Arabia on Friday for Iraq talks
US Secretary of State John Kerry will talk to Saudi Arabia s King Abdullah about how we can counter the sheer threat that is posed by ISIS
Turkey raises fears over potential spillover from Iraq
The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria which Turkey included in its list of terrorist organizations in early June has also kidnapped 31 Turkish truck drivers
Qaeda unit in Syria border town joins ISIS
After months of clashes between the the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria and the Al Nusra Front in several parts of Syria Nusra s Albu Kamal branch pledged loyalty to ISIS
Jihadists fight Iraq battle on ground and online
A powerful jihadist group pushing toward Baghdad is waging a parallel war online flooding social media with updates and riding the football World Cup frenzy to spread its message with corporate like sophistication
Obama warns Iraq on unity
US President Barack Obama says American sacrifices had given Iraq a chance at a stable democracy but it had been squandered
Obama to send advisors to Iraq, open to military action
UPDATED According to a US defense official President Barack Obama is leaning toward a limited course of action that would embed the commandos with Iraqi forces
Fighting nears Baghdad as UN warns crisis 'life-threatening'
Militants push a weeklong offensive that has overrun swathes of Iraq to within 60 kilometers of Baghdad Tuesday June 17 as the UN warns the country s very existence is under threat
Militants attack parts of Baquba
Baquba some 60 kilometers north of Baghdad is the closest the fighting has come to the capital since a major militant offensive swept down from the north last week
Iraqi Kurd PM issues warning over ISIS offensive
Kurdistan regional PM Nechirvan Barzani tells the BBC it will be difficult to find a resolution with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al Maliki in power and recommended an autonomous region for Sunnis as a potential solution
Militants battle Iraq forces as US weighs drone strikes
US Secretary of State John Kerry said he was open to cooperating with arch foe Iran to resolve the week long crisis
US to evacuate Baghdad embassy staff
Embassy staff are being relocated using commercial charter and State Department aircraft The US military also has air assets available as needed
US 'committed' to Iraq: Kerry
Kerry adds that US assistance would only be successful if Iraqi leaders put aside their differences to stress national unity to move the country forward
Iraq forces preparing for counter-offensive
The jihadists of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant have overrun a large chunk of northern and north central Iraq since Monday
Obama rules out sending troops as cleric calls Iraqis to arms
We will not be sending US troops back into combat in Iraq but I have asked my national security team to prepare a range of other options that could help support Iraqi security forces the US president says
Iraqi leaders to blame for army's collapse – US
We had gotten them on their feet and helped build their capacity and quite frankly they did not take advantage of that opportunity State Department deputy spokeswoman Marie Harf tells reporters
US 'looking at all options' in Iraq – Obama
US officials refuse to say publicly what military options are being considered except to rule out sending troops back into the country invaded by the US in 2003
Jihadists seize hostages at campus in Iraq's Ramadi
The attack is the third major operation by militants in 3 days
Jihadist battle sparks exodus, Syria rebels on way out of Homs
Some 60 000 Syrians have fled from three towns to escape fighting between the Al Nusra front and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
Deal for Syria rebels to withdraw from Homs bastion
The agreement comes after government forces began an assault against the few remaining rebel held areas in the city last month
Dozens killed in Syria, watchdog to probe chlorine claims
The regime and rebels have blamed each other for using chlorine in at least one attack
Syria has 8% of chemical material left – monitor
The country misses a crucial deadline but the watchdog overseeing the mission is still hopeful a June 30 deadline for the complete destruction of the chemical arms would be met
Mock executions, beatings: French journalists describe Syria ordeal
The freed journalists share some harrowing details of their 10 month captivity at the hands of the most radical of Syria s jihadist groups
Saudi Arabia lists 'terror' groups, orders foreign fighters home
Saudi Arabia lists the Muslim Brotherhood and two Syrian jihadist groups as terrorist organizations
Baghdad bombs, including near Green Zone, kill 33
Diplomats have urged the Shiite led government to reach out to the Sunni Arab minority to undercut support for militancy but Prime Minister Nuri al Maliki has taken a hard stance
Syria death toll tops 136,000; future talks uncertain
The prospects of a peaceful outcome looked dim after 10 days of talks in Geneva yielded no tangible results and the regime said it was unsure whether it would return to the negotiating table
ISIL 'reaching out' to Syria rebels: audio message
The remarks mark a shift for ISIL which said earlier it would crush opposition fighters and considered members of the Syrian National Coalition and the military command of the Free Syrian Army to be legitimate targets
West hails Syria opposition vote to join peace talks
United States Britain France and Germany were equally elated with the opposition s decision to overcome internal divisions and go to Switzerland
UN Council backs Iraq gov't against militants
The 15 nation council strongly supports efforts of the Iraqi government to retake cities from Al Qaeda linked militants
Syria rebels lay siege to Qaeda-linked jihadists
Raqa the site of the seige is the latest front in a fight pitting a broad coalition of moderates and Islamists opposed to President Bashar al Assad against the Al Qaeda linked Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
Iran ready to help Iraq battle Al-Qaeda: military chief
Both Iran and Iraq are predominantly Shiite Muslim nations and their governments have strengthened political and economic ties in recent years
Iraq readying 'major attack' to retake Fallujah
Iraq s ground forces commander said that the city should wait for what is coming – a reference to the impending assault
More than 100 die as Iraq forces battle Al-Qaeda
The worst violence to hit Iraq in 5 years is said to be driven by anger at the Shiite led government among the Sunni minority
Syria opposition condemns jihadist attacks on rebels
Syria s opposition National Coalition condemned recent attacks by loyalists of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant against Free Syrian Army rebels
