DefenceTalkIraqi and Kurdish forces exchanged artillery fire early Monday south of the city of Kirkuk, after central government forces began a “major operation” to take control of a Kurdish military base and oil fields. Shortly before, state television announced that government troops had taken “large areas” of the province from Kurdish peshmerga fighters “without fighting,” […]https://www.defencetalk.com/clashes-between-iraqi-kurdish-troops-close-to-kirkuk-city-70670/

DefenceTalkMoscow on Tuesday accused the United States of reducing its air strikes on the Islamic State group in Iraq to allow militants to enter Syria and fight the Russian-backed Syrian army. Military spokesman Igor Konashenkov said the Syrian regime was attempting to push the militants out of eastern Deir Ezzor province, but that arrivals from […]https://www.defencetalk.com/moscow-says-us-pretending-to-fight-is-in-iraq-70649/

DefenceTalkYemen’s Huthi rebels, who are locked in a deadly war with the Saudi-supported government, on Sunday said they had downed a drone on the northern outskirts of the country’s capital. The Huthi-run Al-Masirah television channel said the Shiite rebel camp’s anti-aircraft defence had brought down a Saudi-operated MQ-9 Reaper, an unmanned aerial vehicle which is […]https://www.defencetalk.com/yemen-rebels-claim-drone-shot-down-near-sanaa-70576/

DefenceTalkWASHINGTON: The US military has carried out more air strikes against the Islamic State group in Libya, killing several fighters, the US Africa Command said Thursday. The strikes hit Tuesday about 160 kilometers (100 miles) southeast of the Mediterranean city of Sirte, AFRICOM said in a statement. On Sunday, the Pentagon announced the first air […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-carries-out-more-airstrikes-in-libya-70561/

DefenceTalkDefense Secretary Jim Mattis says the U.S. is sending another 3,000 troops to Afghanistan, an increase of over 25 percent in the number of American forces there. Mattis told reporters Monday at the Pentagon that the boost in U.S. troop strength would be “over 3,000,” but he declined to name a specific number. “Frankly, I […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-sending-3000-more-troops-to-afghanistan-70498/

DefenceTalkDonald Trump’s administration ramped up the pressure on North Korea on Sunday (Sep 17) ahead of a week of high-stakes diplomacy at the United Nations, warning Pyongyang will be “destroyed” if it refuses to end its “reckless” nuclear and ballistic missile drive. With US officials and their allies scrambling to find ways to contain an […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-warns-north-korea-will-be-destroyed-if-threats-continue-70472/

DefenceTalkJapan’s prime minister on Monday (Sept 11) called for a boost to the country’s defences in the face of North Korean threats, warning that Tokyo needs to be able to protect itself. The call is a common refrain from nationalist leader Shinzo Abe, who has long advocated a stiffening of Japan’s military posture, despite its […]https://www.defencetalk.com/japan-pm-urges-stronger-defence-amid-north-korea-worries-70441/

DefenceTalkUS President Donald Trump on Monday (Sep 4) told his South Korean counterpart Washington was willing to approve arms sales worth “many billions of dollars” to Seoul following Pyongyang’s test of what it said was a miniaturized hydrogen bomb. President Trump “provided his conceptual approval for the purchase of many billions of dollars’ worth of […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-could-sell-south-korea-billions-of-dollars-of-arms-amid-tensions-70420/

DefenceTalkThe Pentagon sharply raised its estimate of the number of US troops currently in Afghanistan Wednesday, ahead of a decision on adding thousands more under President Donald Trump’s new strategy for the war-ridden country. Pentagon Joint Staff Director Lieutenant General Kenneth McKenzie said a comprehensive review showed there were approximately 11,000 uniformed US servicemen and […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-has-11000-troops-in-afghanistan-more-than-previous-count-pentagon-70405/

DefenceTalkIraqi forces on Tuesday recaptured from the Islamic State group the first three districts of militant bastion Tal Afar as the Pentagon chief visited Baghdad in a show of support. The United Nations said thousands of civilians had fled Tal Afar in the two days since the start of the broad offensive backed by the […]https://www.defencetalk.com/iraqi-forces-retake-three-districts-of-is-bastion-70343/