Syrian rebels force U.S. troops out of Syrian townSeptember 17, 2016 - 14:03 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Syrian rebels have chased American forces out of the town of al-Rai, The Independent reports citing local sources. The Associated Press reports that U.S. troops headed back towards Turkey after a dispute about their presence. The five or six U.S. special forces were there to support Operation Euphrates Shield, which began last month with Free Syrian Army fighters backed by Turkish artillery and jets. In recent weeks they have managed to push jihadists of the Islamic State (IS) back from the Turkish border. However, the latest episode highlights the complexity of the conflict in Syria. Purported video of the incident appears to show FSA fighters chanting anti-American slogans. “Dogs, agents of America,” one man can be heard to say in Arabic, according to a translation by Middle East Eye, while others chant “They are crusaders and infidels”, “Down with America”, “'Get out you pigs” and “They are coming to Syria to occupy it.” The episode will be deeply embarrassing to the US as it struggles with criticism that it lacks a coherent Syria policy. The FSA is seen by the US as a “moderate” rebel group fighting to bring down the regime of Bashar al-Assad. And it comes after clashes between Turkish-allied forces and the Kurdish YPG militia -a key American partner in the fight against IS - which have have created tension between Washington and Ankara. 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 | Armenia, Russia discuss life extension of Metsamor nuclear plant Issues regarding the extension of life of the 2nd power unit of the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant were discussed in Yerevan. Armenians stage more campaigns against territorial concessions to Azerbaijan Protesters blocked more roads across Armenia on Friday, April 26 in continuing attempts to scuttle territorial concessions to Azerbaijan. 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. |