Iraqi forces eying further push into IS-held Ramadi, U.S. ready to helpDecember 10, 2015 - 11:03 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Iraqi forces are preparing to push further into the city center of the Islamic State-held city of Ramadi following significant advances on the Anbar provincial capital the previous day, the Associated Press reports. Iraqi Maj Gen. Ismail al-Mahlawi, the head of military operations in Anbar province, says his troops are preparing to push "toward the government complex and the Houz area," in central Ramadi. He told The Associated Press on Wednesday, December 9 the neighborhood is the backbone of the IS group's structure in Ramadi. Iraqi troops' advances on Tuesday were the most significant incursion into Ramadi since the city fell to IS in May. The push placed Iraqi forces along the southwest edge of Ramadi in the Tamim neighborhood and north of the city, at the former Anbar operations command. The United States is prepared to deploy advisers and attack helicopters if requested by Iraq to help it "finish the job" of retaking the city of Ramadi from Islamic State, U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said on Wednesday. Carter's remarks were the latest sign of U.S. preparations to intensify its military campaign against the group, which controls wide swaths of Iraq and Syria and has orchestrated and inspired attacks abroad. 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 | Police try to impede Armenian Church head’s access to war memorial Police tried to stop the supreme head of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Catholicos Karekin II, from visiting a war memorial. Greece says ready to help as Armenia fights flooding consequences Greece is ready to assist Armenia in combatting the consequences of deadly floods in the country’s north. “He will leave”: Protest leader no longer demands meeting with Pashinyan Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan no longer demands a meeting with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. 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. |