Government forces fight to reverse rebels’ assault in Syria's HamaMarch 30, 2017 - 18:38 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Warplanes pounded rebel-held areas north of the Syrian city of Hama on Thursday, March 30 in an escalation of air strikes, a rebel official and a monitor said, as government forces fought to reverse the insurgents' biggest assault in months, Reuters reports. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and a doctor said air strikes near the town of Latamneh, northwest of Hama, had led several people to choke, saying it was a sign of a gas attack. A Syrian military source denied the army had used any such weapons, branding the reports as rebel propaganda. Rebel groups, spearheaded by jihadist insurgents from the former al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front but also including Free Syrian Army (FSA) groups, launched their attack on government-held areas near Hama last week. The area is of vital importance to President Bashar al-Assad, who with the support of Russia and Iran has the military upper hand there. The observatory, a Britain-based war monitoring group, said jets had hit several rebel towns on Thursday, including Soran and Khattab, both captured by insurgents at the start of the offensive. The Syrian military source said the army was conducting attack operations in the area and had seized the initiative back from the rebels. 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 |