Islamic State recaptures town in Homs from Syrian government troopsDecember 11, 2015 - 10:08 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Syrian activists say the Islamic State group has retaken a strategically important town in the central province of Homs from government forces, the Associated Press reports. The government had recaptured the town of Mheen and surrounding villages from the extremists two weeks ago as part of a general offensive to secure the highway connecting Damascus to the country's northwest. The loss deals a setback to the Syrian army's strategy to fortify the corridor with support from Russian airpower. The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says that fighting is underway on Thursday between IS militants and government forces with their allied militias outside of Mheen. Islamic State media outlets reported earlier that the group's fighters had seized the hills overlooking the town on Wednesday night. 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 | 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 |