Taliban capture 13 Afghan soldiers following helicopter crashNovember 25, 2015 - 11:07 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Taliban insurgents captured 13 Afghan government soldiers on Tuesday, November 24, after their helicopter crashed in territory under the militants' control, police said. Three soldiers were killed in the crash, Reuters reports. Sayed Aqa Saqeb, police chief for the northern province of Faryab where the transport helicopter went down, said it was not clear why it crashed. Security forces had launched an operation to rescue the men, he said. The militants, fighting to expel foreign forces and bring down the U.S.-backed government, have made gains over the past year outside their southern and eastern heartlands and into northern areas including Faryab. An army spokesman in northern Afghanistan said he had no information about a helicopter crash. A U.S. defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity, did not comment on the incident itself but denied claims on Twitter that any U.S. military personnel had been captured. Taliban spokesmen were not available for comment. 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 | Czech-Armenian military cooperation discussed in Yerevan A delegation led by the Director General for the Industrial Cooperation Division of the Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic visited Armenia. U.S. welcomes efforts to define Armenia-Azerbaijan border The United States welcomes efforts to define the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, says Vedant Patel. Biden honors resilience of Armenian people on April 24 U.S. President Joe Biden has issued a statement on the 109th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. Ex-Karabakh leader moved to solitary confinement cell in Baku, his son says David Vardanyan is the son of former Karabakh leader Ruben Vardanyan who who is currently imprisoned in Azerbaijan. |