Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant

Before ISIS attacked it, the northern Iraqi town of Snuny had a population of nearly 150,000 — a mix of Kurdish Muslims and Yazidis, who belong to a religious ethnic minority in this region. Only about 10,000 have returned after Kurdish fighters reclaim

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ISIS May Be Gone, But Life Has Yet To Return To Normal In Northern Iraq

12:49pm February 15, 2015

by Ari Shapiro

The remote town of Snuny was recently liberated from ISIS. But aside from Kurdish and Yazidi militia men, very few people have ventured back. There are no services, and the ISIS threat is still real.

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The temple of Sharfadin in Northern Iraq is 800 years old, and followers of the Yazidi religion consider it one of the most sacred sites in the world. Though ISIS tried to destroy it, a small group of Yazidi fighters kept the shrine standing.

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Outmanned And Outgunned, Fighters Defend Yazidi Shrine Against ISIS

9:08pm February 13, 2015

by Ari Shapiro

Led by a celebrated Yazidi fighter, a small band of Kurdish peshmerga survived a months-long ISIS onslaught. Unlike others in Syria and Iraq, this sacred place still stands, nearly unscathed.

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President Obama, flanked by Vice President Joe Biden, Secretary of State John Kerry and Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, announces he has asked Congress for a war powers resolution against ISIS.

Obama: War Powers Resolution Does Not Signal New Ground War For U.S.

5:51pm February 11, 2015

by Eyder Peralta

President Obama defended a limited three-year resolution saying the country is not benefited "by being on a perpetual war footing."

White House Says There's At Least One Other American Hostage Held In Syria

2:12pm February 10, 2015

by Eyder Peralta

White House spokesman Joshua Earnest would not say if the hostage was being held by the Islamic State, but he said that the U.S. was aware of at least one other American being held in Syria.

ISIS Is Killing, Torturing, Using Children As Suicide Bombers, Says U.N. Report

2:55pm February 05, 2015

by Eyder Peralta

The U.N. Committee on the Rights of the Child said it's reviewed reports of the mass execution of boys and of beheadings, crucifixions and the burying of children alive.

As Deadline Passes, The Fate Of ISIS Hostages Is Uncertain

8:30am January 30, 2015

by Eyder Peralta

The Sunni militants had given Jordan until sunset Thursday to release a convicted terrorist. The exchange did not happen.

Relatives of Jordanian pilot Lt. Muath al-Kaseasbeh, who was captured by ISIS militants in Syria, protest Tuesday in front of the royal palace in Amman, Jordan. Jordan has suggested it might be willing to hold a prisoner exchange for his release.

Jordan Demands Proof Of Life From ISIS Militants

11:18am January 29, 2015

by Eyder Peralta

The country wants to know if the Jordanian pilot being held by the Sunni militants is still alive. The Islamic State said it would kill the pilot if a convicted terrorist was not released by sunset.

Safi al-Kasasbeh and his wife Saafia are the parents of Moath al-Kasasbeh, the Jordanian air force pilot captured by the self-proclaimed Islamic State in Syria. The worried parents are proud of their son, but say Jordan should not be involved in the coali

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With A Son Missing, Family Questions Jordan's Mission Against ISIS

7:13am January 09, 2015

by Alice Fordham

The family of the Jordanian air force pilot recently captured in Syria has deep misgivings about the kingdom's decision to join the U.S. in the fight against the self-proclaimed Islamic State.

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Secretary of State John Kerry, left, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, center, and Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari prior to a round table meeting of the global coalition to counter the Islamic State.

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Kerry: Coalition Offensive Against ISIS Having 'Significant Impact'

1:00pm December 03, 2014

by Eyder Peralta

Meeting with envoys from other countries that joined the fight against the so-called Islamic State, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said their commitment will be measured in years.

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Wife, Son Of Islamic State Leader Reportedly Detained In Lebanon

1:52pm December 02, 2014

by Eyder Peralta

Lebanese authorities say they detained the wife and son of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi near the border with Syria. The two are being interrogated.