Syria

Turkish security forces have "neutralized" 82 terrorists in a week through domestic and cross-border operations, including in the northern regions of Iraq and Syria, against all terrorist organizations, a source from the Defense Ministry has said.

The total number of terrorists "neutralized" since Jan. 1, 2023, has reached 2,478, the senior official from the ministry said.

So far, attacks in the Middle East have mostly been limited to conflict between Iran-backed groups on the one hand and the US, Israel and their allies, on the other. Despite the fact that no state in the Middle East is interested in entering a new conflict, each of them is behaving in a way that exponentially increases the likelihood of an escalation of war.

U.S. forces targeted sites used by Iran-backed militants in Iraq early Wednesday, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced, carrying out strikes that Iraqi sources said left two people dead.

The strikes came just days after U.S. troops in western Iraq were targeted with ballistic missiles and rockets in an attack the Pentagon blamed on militants supported by Tehran.

The police have confirmed that one of the nine bodies washed up on the southern coasts of the country is that of an 18-year-old girl who went missing for approximately two weeks.

Merve Şevval Elmas, a first-year gastronomy student at Akdeniz University, had been reported missing by her family since Jan. 4.

A significant development unfolded in Silistra, northwestern Bulgaria, where authorities successfully detained a group of eight illegal migrants, marking a crucial step in addressing the ongoing challenges related to illegal migration. The detainees, hailing from Syria and Iraq, included minors and were part of a larger group attempting unauthorized entry into Bulgaria.

Turkish intelligence chief İbrahim Kalın has paid a visit to Baghdad and discussed anti-terror cooperation and other security concerns with senior Iraqi officials, including Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid.

The Turkish security forces "neutralized" 14 PKK/YPG terrorists in the Operation Euphrates Shield area in Syria's north, the Defense Ministry has announced.

The ministry statement on Jan. 22 noted that the operation targeted the members of the terror organizations who opened harassing fire on Turkish security forces. 

The Israeli army bombarded Khan Yunis, the new epicentre of the war in Gaza, on Monday as the families of hostages held by Hamas urged  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reach a deal to secure their release.

Witnesses reported deadly strikes overnight in Khan Yunis, the largest city in southern Gaza, and fierce fighting between Israeli soldiers and Hamas militants.

The Turkish security forces "neutralized" 17 PKK terrorists in the Operation Claw-Lock area in northern Iraq and several other operation areas in Syria's north, the Defense Ministry has announced.

In a written statement on X on Jan. 21, the ministry noted that the Turkish forces conducted an airstrike targeting the 10 terrorists in the operation area.

Fighting raged across Gaza and Israeli units raided the West Bank on Sunday after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has faced growing domestic criticism, rejected calls for post-war "Palestinian sovereignty".

Alongside fierce fighting in southern Gaza and across the besieged territory, strikes in Syria and Iraq raised fears of a wider conflagration.