Al Qaeda's affiliate in Syria seizes large parts of northern city: activistsMarch 28, 2015 - 14:58 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Syrian opposition activists said al Qaeda's affiliate in Syria, the Nusra Front, has seized large parts of the northwestern city of Idlib from government forces. According to the Associated Press, they say the advances were made in fierce fighting Saturday, March 28, with the militants sweeping into neighborhoods close to the city center. The Nusra Front is leading a major offensive that began earlier this week to take Idlib. If the city falls, it would be the second provincial capital lost by President Bashar Assad's forces in the four-year-old conflict. A Syrian military official said army forces were fighting "fierce battles" against "armed terrorist groups" to regain control. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said militants seized control of most of Idlib after government forces withdrew to bases in the city. 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 | The Power of One Dram to benefit Road of Life charity The companies inform that the May beneficiary of The Power of One Dram is the “Road of Life” charitable organization. Ucom General Director gives lecture at French University in Armenia The General Director of Ucom Ralph Yirikian delivered a lecture at the French University of Armenia. Kazakhstan welcomes Yerevan, Baku’s agreement to meet in Almaty Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has welcomed the agreement of Baku and Yerevan to hold negotiations in Almaty. Armenia offers to temporarily host, preserve Gaza manuscripts The Armenian Foreign Minister has said Yerevan is ready to help preserve manuscripts from the conflict zone in Gaza. |