From Iraq and Syria, where Islamic State militants abducted Christians and destroyed Mesopotamian relics, to arrests of suspects in New York and a Muslim group in Britain shedding light on the possible identity of a British-accented militant from IS beheading videos, the extremist group dominated the headlines on Thursday around the globe.
Here are the latest developments.
SYRIAN CHRISTIANS ABDUCTED
The number of Christian Assyrians abducted by the Islamic State group in northeastern Syria has risen to 220 in the past three days, as militants round up more hostages from a chain of villages along a strategic river, activists said Thursday. The wave of abductions, which started on Monday, is one of the largest hostage-takings by the Islamic State since the militant group captured large swaths of Syria and Iraq last year.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the militants picked up dozens more Christian Assyrians from 11 communities in Hassakeh province. The province, which borders Turkey and Iraq, has become the latest battleground in the anti-IS fight in Syria.