What's happened
Iraqi authorities capture Islamic State members and reopen major oil refinery after decade-long closure.
Why it matters
The capture of Islamic State members and the reopening of the key oil refinery are significant developments for Iraq's security and economy.
What the papers say
AP News reports the capture of Islamic State members and the reopening of the Beiji refinery, while the New York Times provides additional context on the Fatemiyoun Brigade, a largely overlooked force that includes Afghan refugees recruited by Iran to fight in Syria.
How we got here
The Islamic State group declared a self-styled caliphate in a large swath of territory in Syria and Iraq in 2014. It was declared defeated in Iraq in 2017 and in Syria in 2019, but its sleeper cells remain in both countries.
More on these topics
-
The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, officially known as the Islamic State and also known by its Arabic-language acronym Daesh, is a militant group and a former unrecognised proto-state that follows
-
The United States of America, commonly known as the United States or America, is a country mostly located in central North America, between Canada and Mexico.
-
Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in Western Asia, bordered by Turkey to the north, Iran to the east, Kuwait to the southeast, Saudi Arabia to the south, Jordan to the southwest and Syria to the west.