Syrian militant group leader pledges allegiance to al-Qaeda April 10, 2013 - 17:45 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The leader of a militant group fighting on the side of Syria's rebels has for the first time pledged allegiance to al-Qaeda and the terror network's No. 1, Ayman al-Zawahri. According to The Associated Press, in an audio message Wednesday, April 10, Abu Mohammad al-Golani also confirms ties with al-Qaida's Iraq branch but says that he wasn't consulted ahead of an announcement on the two groups' merger. Al-Qaeda's branch in Iraq on Tuesday announced it joined forces with the Syrian group, and that the new union will be called the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant. But al-Golani says the announcement was premature and that his Jabhat al-Nusra will continue to use its own name. His message was first reported by the SITE monitoring service for militant groups. It's unclear if al-Golani is denying the merger.   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 |  Latest news Russia provides info about arrested Armenian ex-MP  Russian law enforcement agencies have provided information about the arrest of Tigran Urikhanyan.Lemkin Institue slams Pashinyan's “cryptic engagement with Genocide denial” The Lemkin Institute is alarmed over Pashinyan’s statements “questioning Armenia's legal basis to pursue justice against Turkey”.41 detained as antigovernment protests continue in Yerevan 41 people were detained in Yerevan as people demanding Pashinian’s resignation stage campaigns of civil disobedience.Armenia votes for UN resolution granting Palestine new rights The U.N. General Assembly voted by a wide margin on May 10 to grant new “rights and privileges” to Palestine. |
