Syrian army launches major assault north of key airportJanuary 17, 2018 - 10:20 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) launched a big assault in the southern countryside of Aleppo in Wednesday, January 17 morning, targeting the last towns and hilltops located just north of the Abu Dhuhour Military Airport, Al-Masdar News reports. Backed by heavy artillery, the Syrian army troops began the attack by storming the small towns of Al-Jafra, ‘Anadan Al-Sheikh, and Abu Mujaher. Intense clashes are now ongoing between the Syrian army and the jihadist rebels at these towns, a military report from the Aleppo Governorate stated this morning. While no gains have been reported thus far, the Syrian Army is expected to take control of several towns in the coming hours, as the jihadist rebel defenses continue to collapse near the Abu Dhuhour Airport. 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 |