Syrian army begins storming two key militant strongholds in DamascusMarch 17, 2018 - 15:37 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Elite forces of the Syrian army have kicked-off a new assault operation against armed rebel groups in Damascus’ East Ghouta region, Al-Masdar News reports. According to military-affiliated sources, the Syrian army is conducting a concentric attack in the southernmost pocket of the East Ghouta area, targeting the militant stronghold districts of Kafr Batna and Saqba. Both districts are located in what sources describe as the rebel-controlled ‘urban heartland’ of East Ghouta – the attack by government forces is coming from both the northern (into Saqba) and eastern (into Kafr Batna) directions. At present, it is unclear which Syrian army formations are involved in the assault operation, however given general knowledge on the disposition of government units in east Damascus, it may very well be the case that both the Tiger Forces Division and the Republican Guard are involved. 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 | Get Started: An educational platform for young startuppers The Get Started program which operates in two phases is an important platform for young startuppers. Byblos Bank Armenia celebrates Students' Day with scholarship recipients YSU students who received scholarships from Byblos Bank Armenia gathered in a casual setting to meet with the Bank's CEO, Hayk Stepanyan. Azerbaijan extends Rune Vardanyan’s arrest by 5 months A court in Azerbaijan has extended the arrest of former Nagorno-Karabakh leader Ruben Vardanyan by five months. Armenia border residents dissatisfied with delimitation Residents Kirants are dissatisfied with the results of the delimitation of the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan. |