Syrian army 'nearly splits Islamic State's Deir ez-Zor pocket in half'September 14, 2018 - 14:34 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The Islamic State (IS) is said to be in serious trouble in the western countryside of Deir ez-Zor, as they find themselves under a heavy attack from the Syrian military and Russian forces, Al-Masdar News reports. Led by their Republican Guard, the Syrian Arab Army has managed to liberate a large chunk of the Islamic State-occupied pocket in western Deir ez-Zor after launching the surprise operation earlier this week. With help from the Russian Air Force, the Syrian Arab Army has liberated several points from the Islamic State this week, forcing them to fall back towards the T-3 Pumping Station near the Homs provincial border. As a result of the advance, the Syrian Arab Army has nearly split the Islamic State’s pocket in half, while also shrinking it considerably over the last 72 hours. According to a military source in Damascus, the Syrian Arab Army should be able to clear the entire pocket within a week, as the Islamic State continues to fall back in the Badiya Al-Sham region. Photo. REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi/File Photo 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 | 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. Biden honors resilience of Armenian people on April 24 U.S. President Joe Biden has issued a statement on the 109th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. Ex-Karabakh leader moved to solitary confinement cell in Baku, his son says David Vardanyan is the son of former Karabakh leader Ruben Vardanyan who who is currently imprisoned in Azerbaijan. |