Syrian government askes Iran to take over supervision and payroll of thousands of Shi'ite militiamen fighting alongside Russian and Syrian troops, according to government source and news report
Commanders say about 50,000 fighters will be participating in battle for IS stronghold, with aerial support from US-led coalition
At least 15 civilians and 27 pro-regime troops are dead, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights; reports say IS militants tortured villagers and looted homes
YPG is leading Syrian Democratic Forces, which has driven IS militants from large swaths of land in northern Syria over past two years with backing of US-led coalition
Gaining territory would enable rebels to box in IS fighters fleeing from Raqqa and Mosul, take control of lucrative phosphate mines and potentially put pressure on Damascus in Syria’s civil war
26 Qataris are taken by plane from Baghdad to Doha on Friday evening
Speculation is growing amid word that messengers from the two groups have been communicating, but analysts see unification as unlikely
Move underscores rivalry between Kurdish factions fighting against common enemy, raises questions about future cooperation
Authorities say attackers disguised themselves in police uniforms and drove police cars to gain access to city, which was once Baathist stronghold of former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein
Five air bases provide foothold for expanded offensive against Islamic State
Engineers say dam on Euphrates River is structurally sound; they dispute Islamic State claims that hydroelectric facility could collapse
