Militants "tried to attack Hmeymim base in Syria 12 times over a month"May 2, 2019 - 10:44 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The head of Russia’s Reconciliation Centre in Syria said on Wednesday, May 1 that militant groups acting in the Idlib de-escalation zone haven't ceased their attempts to attack Russia’s Hmeymim base and Syrian government troops, Sputnik reports. The militants attempted to shell Hmeymim airbase using multiple-launch rocket systems as well as drones twelve times over the past month, Russian military said, adding that all the attacks were repelled and there was no no materiel damage as a result of the shellings. The head of the Russian Centre for Syrian Reconciliation also said that twelve unmanned aerial vehicles had been downed by Russian defences. In March, Russian Defence Ministry stated that the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham militant group, linked to Al-Nusra Front, had been planning an attack on the Russian Hmeymim Air Base in Syria that used attack drones, which was consequently pre-empted by the Russian Air Force, which conducted an air raid on a warehouse where the group was storing the drones intended for the attack. Idlib-based militants have been trying to use drones in their attacks on Russia's Hmeymim Air Base but these are getting shot down by Russian air defence systems. 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. |