British forces strike Islamic State with Brimstone missiles for first timeJanuary 11, 2016 - 18:15 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - British RAF aircraft carried out four missions against the Islamic State group in Syria on Sunday, January 10, using Brimstone missiles for the first time, BBC News reports. The Brimstone strikes targeted a vehicle near Raqqa - a stronghold of IS - as well as the Omar oilfield in the east of Syria, said Downing Street. Defense Secretary Michael Fallon said the UK was "playing a key role" in the fight against IS, also known as Daesh. Brimstone missiles are viewed as more accurate than their rivals. Sold as the "most accurate precision strike product on the market", they are radar-guided and able to be used against targets moving at up to 70mph. The UK and Saudi Arabia are the only two countries to have purchased Brimstones, and while laying out his case for British action against IS in Syria, David Cameron argued that their use would make a "meaningful difference" to the battle. MPs voted in favour of extending UK action into Syria on 2 December, but strikes have so far been few in number. RAF activity has instead been focused on Iraq - most recently in the battle for Ramadi - but it appears there has now been a surge of activity over Syria, said BBC defence correspondent Jonathan Beale. 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. |