Zana Omer

Freed SDF Fighters Speak of Last Days in IS Captivity

Islamic State 'was using us as human shields,' one captive told VOA hours after being rescued

Freed SDF Fighters Speak About Their IS Captivity

SDF: IS Uses Suicide Attacks, Civilians to Slow Advance on Baghuz  

SDF officials say vast majority of civilians have already left Baghuz, but small number are still trapped in town by IS

IS Using Civilians as Human Shields to Slow SDF Advance on Last Stronghold

SDF: IS Targeting Civilians Fleeing E. Syria Stronghold

US-backed forces say Islamic State militants hit a road used by civilians to escape violence as the battle to free the town of Baghuz in Syria's Deir el-Zour province enters its sixth day

US-Backed Forces in Syria Say 5 IS Arrested, 5 Deported

In interview with VOA, SDF spokesperson confirms five IS fighters, two Americans, two Pakistanis, and one Irish, arrested on Dec. 30 during a special operation in eastern Deir el-Zour province

Syria Refineries Raise Health Concerns

Oil workers recognize the risks that come with their profession, but they say unemployment forced them into it

Syria's Makeshift Oil Refineries Raise Health, Environmental Concerns

Syria's seven-year civil war has allowed many Syrians to work in the oil sector, using rudimentary methods for refining. But locals complain that the practice has a major impact on their health and on the environment. VOA's Zana Omer reports from Tirbespi, Syria.

Village for Women Only is Home to Needy Families

A new village has been built specifically for women in northern Syria's Rojava region. The name of the village is Jinwar, which means a place for women in Kurdish. It has 30 identical houses, each of which is made from red clay. VOA's Zana Omer visited the village and filed this report, narrated by Bezhan Hamdard.

Kurds Seek Solutions for Captured IS Fighters  

Captured fighters continue to burden Kurds because their countries of origin refrain from dealing with citizens who joined terror group in Iraq and Syria