A new militia comprising about 300 armed “Christians” has emerged in the Muslim-majority, conflict-ridden Central Mindanao region in southern Philippines, and it says it’s training to fight local terror groups and those claiming allegiance to the Islamic State.

Declaring themselves as “Pulahan,” which translates as “Red Warriors of God” or “Red God Defenders,” the group made their first appearance before media this week, according to reports, which say their soldiers burned an Islamic State flag, also known as ISIS or ISIL.

[Read more…]

Iraqi security forces uncovered more than a dozen corpses in Iraq Monday, just a month after the Iraqi military retook the city of Ramadi from the Islamic State group, also known as ISIS.

“ISIS launched an assault against (an Iraqi army building) with 10 vehicles rigged with explosives in the area of Sarsar, northern Ramadi”, said Brig Gen. Ismail Mahlawi, commander of the Anbar operations command.

[Read more…]

Some 34,000 people have been displaced by the ongoing fighting in the mountainous area of Jebel Marra that straddles three Darfur states, said the UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan, Marta Ruedas.

In a statement issued from Khartoum on Wednesday, Ruedas expressed “grave concern” over the humanitarian impact of the fighting between the Sudanese army and the Sudan Liberation Movement - Abdel Wahid al-Nur (SLM-AW) in Jebel Marra.

[Read more…]

At least four Egyptian army soldiers were killed and 12 injured in the Sinai Peninsula after an armoured personnel carrier exploded on the outskirts of the city of Arish, security and medical sources said today.

Unidentified militants planted an improvised explosive device on the road and later remotely detonated it as the vehicle conducted a search operation, the sources said.

[Read more…]

Fighting flared again on Tuesday in Kawkareik Township, Karen State, where Karen rebels accuse a joint force comprising the Burma Army and Karen Border Guard Force (BGF) of burning down at least 10 houses in the village of Pyar Pin a day earlier.

Clashes broke out after 1 pm local time, according to Col. Nai Maung Zaw from the government-allied Karen BGF, who said he could still hear gunfire while speaking to The Irrawaddy over the phone on Tuesday afternoon.

[Read more…]

The “Red Shan” of northern Burma announced the formation of their armed group, the Shanni Nationalities Army (SNA), on social media last week, amidst calls for their own state in parliament.

Described as an independent organization “not under any other group,” the SNA claims to represent the Shan peoples of northern Burma. With a population estimated at 300,000, the Red Shan—translated to Shan-ni in Burmese and Tai-leng in Shan—largely live in southern Kachin State, particularly near Mohnyin and Bhamo, and in Sagaing Division.

[Read more…]

The Syrian army has captured a key southern town from rebel forces after weeks of fierce fighting, a Syrian activist group says.

The fall of Sheikh Maskin on Monday means government forces will strengthen their hold on Deraa province, while cutting off rebel factions from key supply lines.

[Read more…]