Senior Iraqi general killed in Baghdad battleJuly 7, 2014 - 17:13 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - A senior Iraqi general was killed in fighting with insurgents close to Baghdad on Monday, July 7 as the army fights to hold militant Sunni Islamists back from the capital, Reuters reported. Major General Negm Abdullah Ali, commander of the army's sixth division, responsible for defending part of Baghdad, "met martyrdom on the battlefield as he was fighting ... terrorists", Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said in a statement. Ali was killed "when mortar rounds fell" in the Ibrahim Bin Ali area, about 16 km (10 miles) northwest of Baghdad, the office of Maliki's military spokesman said later. Ibrahim Bin Ali has been fought over for months because of its proximity to Shi'ite districts of Baghdad. Security forces have been in a standoff with rebels in the area since the city of Fallujah, some 70 km (45 miles) west of Baghdad, was overrun by earlier this year. Insurgents led by a group called the Islamic State seized large parts of northern and western Iraq last month and have threatened to move on Baghdad. Photo: The Washington Post 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 | Lemkin Institute petition seeks release of Armenians in Azerbaijan The Lemkin Institute is deeply concerned about the continued illegal detention of political prisoners from Karabakh in Azerbaijan. Armenian Catholicos calls for national unity against threats Karekin II issued a message on Republic Day marking the anniversary of the First Armenian Republic. Pashinyan: Armenia’s desired goal is “on the horizon” Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has said that Armenia is moving forward “without interruption”. Opposition leader, supporters spend night at Sardarapat memorial Police made nearly 300 arrests the day before as Galstanyan and his supporters continued to demonstrate in Yerevan. |