Syrian army captures 75% of East Ghouta region: sourcesMarch 19, 2018 - 11:22 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) has been rolling through the militant-held areas of the East Ghouta recently, leaving only a small portion of this region left to capture, Al-Masdar News reports. According to a military source in Damascus, the Syrian Arab Army has managed to capture at least 75 percent of the East Ghouta region following the capture of Sabqa from the militants of Faylaq Al-Rahman. With Sabqa captured, the Syrian Army will now shift their attention to the suburbs of ‘Ayn Tarma, Zamalka, Arbeen, and Jobar. These four suburbs are located at the southern pocket of the East Ghouta region and they are specifically controlled by the militants of Faylaq Al-Rahman, Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham, and Harakat Ahrar Al-Sham. 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 |