Syrian army reportedly takes water spring near DamascusJanuary 28, 2017 - 16:23 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Syrian government forces entered the village of Ain al-Fija near Damascus on Saturday, January 28 and took control from rebels of a spring and pumping station that supply most of the capital's water, a military media unit run by Lebanese group Hezbollah said, according to Reuters. A monitoring group said the Syrian army had not yet entered the village, but was expected to under a deal reached with rebels who have been fighting to hold the area they have controlled for years. The Wadi Barada valley where Ain al-Fija is located has become the most intense battlefront in the Syrian civil war and the disruption to water supplies has caused severe shortages in Damascus since the beginning of the year. "The Syrian army has entered Ain al-Fija ... and raised the Syrian flag over the spring installation," the Hezbollah media unit's statement said. It said this was part of a deal reached with insurgents, who under the agreement would depart the area. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said a deal was expected to take effect which would see rebels leave with light weapons for the northwestern province of Idlib, an insurgent stronghold. The army had not yet entered Ain al-Fija, or taken over the spring or pumping station, the British-based Observatory said. Syrian government forces and their allies, which include Hezbollah, have advanced on the area in Wadi Barada in weeks of intense fighting, seeking to recapture the spring and pumping station. 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 | Ucom Celebrates Telecommunication Day May 17 commemorates the founding of the International Telecommunication Union on May 17, 1865. Armenian, Azerbaijani heads of parliament meet in Switzerland President of the Armenian parliament Alen Simonyan met with the Speaker of the Azerbaijani Milli Majlis Sahiba Gafarova. Border residents overnight on highway to protest Armenia’s Residents of Kirants continue to express outrage over the government’s decision to cede land to Azerbaijan. Get Started: An educational platform for young startuppers The Get Started program which operates in two phases is an important platform for young startuppers. |