Iraqi forces push Islamic State fighters out of key western town March 7, 2015 - 09:53 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Iraqi forces have pushed Islamic State (IS) fighters out of the western town of al-Baghdadi, the U.S. military says, according to BBC News. The town, which was taken over by IS last month, is about 8km (5 miles) from a base housing hundreds of U.S. troops who are training Iraqi soldiers. Iraqi forces moved in after "precise and effective" air strikes by the U.S.-led coalition, a statement said. Meanwhile, IS was widely condemned on Friday, March 6 after it bulldozed the ancient Assyrian city of Nimrud in Iraq. IS began demolishing the site, which was founded in the 13th Century BC, on Thursday, according to Iraqi officials. The head of the UN's cultural agency condemned the "systematic" destruction in Iraq as a "war crime". IS, which controls large areas of Iraq and Syria, says shrines and statues are "false idols" that have to be smashed. Nimrud lies on the Tigris river, about 30km (18 miles) south-east of Mosul, which is under IS control.  Top stories 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". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads.   Partner news |  Latest news Cyprus parliament honors Armenian genocide victims  Acting House President Zacharias Koulias noted that April 24 marks the “black anniversary” of the Armenian genocide.Armenia PM, France envoy discuss regional matters Issues related to the consistent development of Armenia-France cooperation were discussed.Azerbaijan razes historic Armenian church to ground Azerbaijan has demolished the historic Armenian Church of St. John the Baptist (known as Kanach Zham).Russia to begin assessing migrant workers' speaking skills Rosobrnadzor is planning to change the Russian language exam for migrant workers and include an assessment of speaking skills |
