Syrian army captures Islamic State outpost in east Swaida (video) August 8, 2018 - 17:04 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The Syrian forces continue to expel the Islamic State from the stretching desert east of Swaida in bid to reclaim the entire pocket. According to a military source, the Syrian army, backed by local fighters, managed to score fresh advances across several front-lines; reaching the outskirts of Qaysoum and Bir Maselam towns, Al-Masdar News says. The same source confirmed that the government troops infiltrated some 20 km east of Rami and Shabki towns where ISIS committed a massacre last month. Footage posted by Syrian soldiers shows an outpost for the group under the Syrian army’s control. The jihadi militants fled the battlefield leaving behind weapons and explosive devices. On July 25, the internationally-designated group launched a surprise attack on several villages and towns east of Swaida; slaughtering more than 200 civilians and injuring few hundreds more. 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 |