S. Sudan forces attack Sudan troops at contested regionApril 18, 2012 - 15:30 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - South Sudanese forces have made a diversionary attack near the contested Abyei region, state-linked media in Khartoum said, as international pressure mounted Wednesday, April 18 to pull the rivals back from the brink of all-out war, AFP reported. The attack against Sudanese troops occurred Tuesday in the Bahr El Arab River area, 62 kilometres (38 miles) south of El Meiram, said the Sudanese Media Centre (SMC) which is close to the security apparatus. That area is just outside Abyei - a potential flashpoint - and is also along the South Darfur border with South Sudan's Northern Bahr El Gazal state. The SMC quoted the district commissioner, Colonel Fathi Abd Allah Arabi, as saying the attack aimed to affect Sudanese military plans to recapture the Heglig oil field seized by South Sudan on April 10. The United Nations, the United States and the European Union have criticized the South's occupation of Heglig, the north's most important oilfield, equally denouncing Sudanese air strikes against the South. There are widespread fears the fighting, which began with skirmishes in the same area in late March and intensified last week, will spread. It is already the worst since South Sudan won independence in July after a 1983-2005 civil war which killed two million people. 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. |