Geopolitical locations in conflict

Geographic accuracy is essential for international relations questions. Pair 1 is correct: Aleppo is a major city in Syria, prominent in Syrian Civil War news. Pair 2 is incorrect: Kirkuk is a city in Iraq, not Yemen; it is an oil-rich city contested between Kurds and the Iraqi government. Pair 3 is incorrect: Mosul is a city in Iraq, not Palestine; it was a major ISIS stronghold captured in 2017. Pair 4 is correct: Mazar-i-Sharif (also Mazar-i-Sharif) is a city in northern Afghanistan and has been frequently mentioned in news regarding Taliban activities and Afghan security. Therefore, pairs 1 and 4 are correctly matched.