Syrian government forces pound DamascusApril 2, 2013 - 19:37 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Syrian government warplanes and artillery pounded Damascus and its suburbs Tuesday, April 2 as rebels in the northern city of Aleppo launched an operation that aims to free hundreds of political detainees from the city's central prison, activists said, according to AP. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said government forces on Tuesday shelled the northern Damascus neighborhoods of Jobar, Barzeh and Qaboun. It also reported an air raid on the suburb of Mleiha. State-run TV said rebels fired a mortar shell on the Damascus suburb of Muqailabiyeh, killing four people, including two children. It added that troops killed scores of gunmen throughout the country. The Observatory also reported heavy shelling of rebel-held areas in the central city of Homs and fighting in other regions such as Daraa in the south and Deir el-Zour to the east near the border with Iraq. In Aleppo, rebels launched an attack dubbed "Freeing the Prisoners" that aims to eventually free detainees held in the city's central prison, the Aleppo Media Center activist group reported. Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. 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". Partner news | Ruling MPs, Foreign Minister talk Armenia-Azerbaijan processes MOs from the ruling Civil Contract party met with the Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan in the Armenian parliament. Russia: Armenia’s frozen membership weakens CSTO position in Caucasus A Russian envoy said any step that could alienate the CSTO member states from each other is “deeply wrong”. Prosecutors to appeal Armenia ex-President’s acquittal Sargsyan was acquitted on Friday, May 31 more than four years after going on trial on corruption charges. Armenia: 28 protesters arrested after clash with police The Investigative Committee of Armenia has announced the arrest of 28 participants of an opposition demonstration. |