Syrian army advances more than 50km through IS-held east SweidaAugust 9, 2018 - 14:09 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) has been on a roll in the Sweida Governorate recently, liberating several areas that were occupied by the Islamic State forces, Al-Masdar News reports. Led by their 4th Division, the Syrian Arab Army has managed to advance more than 50km through ISIS-held east Sweida after a fierce battle with the group over the last 72 hours. This large-scale advance as reportedly resulted in the Syrian Arab Army and National Defense Forces (NDF) meeting up with another government unit at another axis in the eastern countryside of the Sweida Governorate. The Syrian Arab Army is now working to liberate the last remaining hilltops that are under the control of the Islamic State near the strategic Kara’ area. Once they take control of these hilltops, the Syrian Arab Army will begin the second phase of their offensive. The second phase of the offensive will concentrate on liberating the Al-Safa Canyon region and Kara’ area, which are two Islamic State strongholds in eastern Sweida. Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Czech-Armenian military cooperation discussed in Yerevan A delegation led by the Director General for the Industrial Cooperation Division of the Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic visited Armenia. U.S. welcomes efforts to define Armenia-Azerbaijan border The United States welcomes efforts to define the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, says Vedant Patel. Biden honors resilience of Armenian people on April 24 U.S. President Joe Biden has issued a statement on the 109th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. Ex-Karabakh leader moved to solitary confinement cell in Baku, his son says David Vardanyan is the son of former Karabakh leader Ruben Vardanyan who who is currently imprisoned in Azerbaijan. |