IS militants seize part of World Heritage-listed city of Palmyra in Syria May 20, 2015 - 16:36 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Islamic State fighters have seized the northern part of the ancient World Heritage-listed city of Palmyra in Syria, a monitoring group has said, according to BBC News. Militants seized part of the town of Tadmur located on a strategic east-west route next to Palmyra last weekend but had been pushed back from the ruins. Palmyra contains the ruins of one of the most important cultural centers of the ancient world, according to UNESCO. It is feared IS fighters may now damage or destroy the site. Syria's antiquities chief said the insurgents would destroy the ancient ruins if they took control. The group has demolished similar antiquities in Iraq, seeing them as symbols of idolatry. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said a third of Palmyra had been taken.  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 |
