Syria slams presence of France, Germany; Berlin denies accusations June 15, 2016 - 14:38 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The Syrian government said on Wednesday, June 15 French and German forces were present in northern Syria, an accusation denied by Germany, Reuters reports. Syrian state media said the government strongly condemned the presence of French and German forces in Ain al-Arab, also known as Kobani, and Manbij. "Syria...considers it explicit and unjustified aggression towards (Syria's) sovereignty and independence," state news agency SANA quoted the foreign ministry as saying. Germany's defense ministry denied that German special forces were in northern Syria and said repeated claims by the Syrian government to this effect were not and had never been true. "There are no German special forces in Syria. The accusation is false," a ministry spokesman said, according to Reuters. The U.S.-backed Syria Democratic Forces (SDF) are currently staging an offensive against Islamic State near Manbij, while Kobani is under the control of the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia, part of the SDF.  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 U.S. welcomes Armenia, Azerbaijan’s border delimitation announcement  Blinken said it is an important step towards concluding a durable and dignified peace agreement.Up to 10% cashback from GetTransfer with IDBank cards IDBank clients who make their booking on GetTransfer will receive an exclusive cashback.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. |
