Islamic State starts using drones against coalition forces, PeshmergaOctober 12, 2016 - 12:33 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Two French soldiers were badly wounded in Iraq and two Peshmerga fighters were killed by a booby trapped drone sent by a group related to the Islamic State, Le Monde reported on Tuesday, October 11, according to The Sydney Morning Herald. In what could be the first report of an attack by Islamic State militants on French special forces using a drone, the device was intercepted while flying and exploded after landing on the ground, the paper said. Le Monde said the attack happened on Oct. 2. It was not clear whether the device was remotely detonated or if it carried a timed bomb. The two French soldiers were immediately repatriated to receive medical treatment in France. One of them "is between life and death," the newspaper said. Other French soldiers were also lightly wounded by the explosion but Le Monde did not give precise numbers. France has about 500 military in Iraq as part of a US-led coalition to fight Islamic State militants. The numbers include special forces that have been training Kurdish Peshmerga forces in the north of the country. The French defence ministry, which has a policy of not discussing special forces' operations, declined to comment on the Le Monde report. 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 | Get Started: An educational platform for young startuppers The Get Started program which operates in two phases is an important platform for young startuppers. Byblos Bank Armenia celebrates Students' Day with scholarship recipients YSU students who received scholarships from Byblos Bank Armenia gathered in a casual setting to meet with the Bank's CEO, Hayk Stepanyan. Azerbaijan extends Rune Vardanyan’s arrest by 5 months A court in Azerbaijan has extended the arrest of former Nagorno-Karabakh leader Ruben Vardanyan by five months. Armenia border residents dissatisfied with delimitation Residents Kirants are dissatisfied with the results of the delimitation of the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan. |