UAE renews air strikes against Islamic StateFebruary 10, 2015 - 18:04 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - United Arab Emirates F-16 jets based in Jordan attacked Islamic State targets on Tuesday, Feb 10, and returned safely, UAE state news agency WAM said, according to Reuters. The UAE had suspended participation in coalition air strikes against IS for several weeks over pilot safety concerns, after a Jordanian pilot was captured by the group in Syria. He was later executed. Tuesday's flights were the first publicly announced attacks since the UAE said on Sunday it would resume operations, using planes based in Jordan. Both Jordan and the United States praised the UAE's decision to return to the campaign. Since November, the U.S. has led a group of countries -- conservative Arab monarchies Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan and the UAE -- in an air war on IS, which controls large swathes of Iraq and Syria. By the end of last year, Arab states appeared increasingly absent from the war as easy targets thinned and the U.S. carried out the lion's share of strikes, according to military data provided to Reuters. But a public backlash in Arab countries followed IS's release of a grisly video showing Muath al-Kasaesbeh, the captured Jordanian airman, caged and burnt alive by the militants, and leaders' enthusiasm for the war has been renewed. Photo: ABC News 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 | Power of One Dram to benefit Road of Life, Strong Mind IDBank and Idram summarize the results of the May program of “The Power of One Dram”. Yerevan State University, Ucom sign Memorandum of Cooperation Rector of Yerevan State University Hovhannes Hovhannisyan and General Director of Ucom Ralph Yirikian signed the memorandum. EU to provide budgetary support to Armenia The agreement is aimed at increasing the competitiveness of the educational system of Armenia. Aliyev: No peace treaty unless Armenia changes constitution Azerbaijan will not sign a peace treaty with Armenia unless the latter changes its constitution, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said. |