Heavy fights, shelling reported near Damascus airport December 1, 2012 - 18:22 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Clashes have been reported near the airport of the Syrian capital, Damascus, as internet and mobile phones continued to be cut off for a third day, Belfast Telegraph reported. A day earlier, 20 Lebanese were killed inside Syria while fighting alongside rebels to topple President Bashar Assad. The news heightened tensions in neighbouring Lebanon. Lebanese troops deployed to the northern city of Tripoli after the deaths were announced and Sunni Muslim gunmen fired into the air in tribute. The vast majority of Syria's rebels are also Sunnis. Assad - along with his most elite troops - belongs to the Alawite sect, an offshoot of Shiite Islam. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and Syria-based activist Mohammed Saeed reported the heavy fighting and shelling near Damascus' airport. The civil war has forced hundreds of thousands of Syrians to flee the country, and many more are internally displaced. Fighting has also spilled into Turkey and other neighbouring countries.   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 |  Latest news Armenia border residents dissatisfied with delimitation  Residents Kirants are dissatisfied with the results of the delimitation of the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan.“Great success”: Pashinyan pleased with new border protocol Pashinyan has described the signing by Armenia and Azerbaijan of a protocol on delimitation in Tavush as “a great success”.Armenia, Azerbaijan sign protocol on demarcation coordinates Armenia’s government took on May 15 another step towards handing over four border areas to Azerbaijan.Power of One Dram sums up two-year program with Teach for Armenia Idram Junior also joined the companies during the visit, bringing with it a fascinating intellectual game for children |
