Officials: 17 al-Qaida militants killed in Yemen latest fightingJune 16, 2012 - 15:28 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Yemeni military officials say government troops have killed 17 al-Qaida militants in the latest fighting in the south, according to AP. The officials say the fighting raged until early Saturday, June 16, around Azan town in southern Shabwa province, one of the few remaining al-Qaida strongholds. Six soldiers were wounded. Yemeni warplanes pounded militant hideouts in the mountains surrounding Azan on Friday but the officials say casualty figures from those bombings were not available because of the ruggedness of the terrain. The military has advanced against al-Qaida strongholds in the south. Troops on Friday took Shoqra, the last town under militant control in Abyan province, which borders Shabwa. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity in line with military regulations. Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. 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". Partner news | IDBank, Dalma team up for Caucasian Deer Reintroduction Program IDBank has joined Dalma Garden Mall’s Green Challenge to support the Caucasian red deer reintroduction project. Through Ucom’s support the 12th Sunchild Festival concludes On May 24-28, with the support of Ucom, the 12th international environmental festival Sunchild took place in Yerevan. U.S., Turkey emphasize importance of Armenia-Azerbaijan peace deal Jake Sullivan and Akif Cagatay Kilic have discussed the normalization process between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Armenia coach expects good football in Slovenia friendly The Armenian national team has left for Ljubljana a friendly match against Slovenia on June 4. |