Wednesday, 9 July, 2014 , 14:30 AFP — Twenty members of the Islamic State (IS) were killed in Syrian air force raids on Wednesday against the jihadists' bastion in Raqa, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

Wednesday, 9 July, 2014 , 12:54 AFP — Iraqi premier Nuri al-Maliki Wednesday accused the country's autonomous Kurdish region of harbouring jihadists, further ratcheting up tension despite calls for Iraq's leaders to unite against a Sunni militant offensive.

Wednesday, 9 July, 2014 , 12:08 AFP — Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki on Wednesday accused the northern autonomous Kurdish region of hosting jihadists spearheading an offensive that has overrun swathes of territory and sparked Iraq's worst crisis in years.

Wednesday, 9 July, 2014 , 11:38 AFP — Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki on Wednesday accused the northern autonomous Kurdish region of hosting jihadists spearheading an offensive that has overrun swathes of territory and sparked Iraq's worst crisis in years.

Tuesday, 8 July, 2014 , 20:40 AFP — Syrian Kurdish forces have demobilised scores of child soldiers from their ranks over the past month, a Swiss group that works to save under-age fighters said Tuesday.

Monday, 7 July, 2014 , 09:50 AFP — Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi warned the independence of Iraq's Kurdish region would be "catastrophic" and cause the Middle East to splinter along ethnic and religious lines, newspapers reported Monday.

Monday, 7 July, 2014 , 01:47 AFP — Iraq's Kurds would face enormous challenges if they were to secede, but the threat of an independence vote amid chaos nationwide could squeeze concessions from the federal government, experts say.

Saturday, 5 July, 2014 , 09:30 AFP — Kurdish rebels will begin a stalled withdrawal from Turkey into their safe haven in northern Iraq after parliament passes reforms aimed at ending a decades-long insurgency, local media reported on Saturday.

Friday, 4 July, 2014 , 15:54 AFP — After embarking on a peace process with homegrown Kurdish militants, Turkey is finally reconciling itself with the prospect of an independent Kurdish state in neighbouring war-torn Iraq.

Friday, 4 July, 2014 , 11:50 AFP — Iraqi Kurdish preparations for an independence referendum met with frustration in Washington, which stressed unity was essential to tackle a jihadist-led onslaught that risks "Syria-like chaos".