Syrian army reportedly takes water spring near DamascusJanuary 28, 2017 - 16:23 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Syrian government forces entered the village of Ain al-Fija near Damascus on Saturday, January 28 and took control from rebels of a spring and pumping station that supply most of the capital's water, a military media unit run by Lebanese group Hezbollah said, according to Reuters. A monitoring group said the Syrian army had not yet entered the village, but was expected to under a deal reached with rebels who have been fighting to hold the area they have controlled for years. The Wadi Barada valley where Ain al-Fija is located has become the most intense battlefront in the Syrian civil war and the disruption to water supplies has caused severe shortages in Damascus since the beginning of the year. "The Syrian army has entered Ain al-Fija ... and raised the Syrian flag over the spring installation," the Hezbollah media unit's statement said. It said this was part of a deal reached with insurgents, who under the agreement would depart the area. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said a deal was expected to take effect which would see rebels leave with light weapons for the northwestern province of Idlib, an insurgent stronghold. The army had not yet entered Ain al-Fija, or taken over the spring or pumping station, the British-based Observatory said. Syrian government forces and their allies, which include Hezbollah, have advanced on the area in Wadi Barada in weeks of intense fighting, seeking to recapture the spring and pumping station. 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 | Titus, Bilirakis lead legislation to sanction Azerbaijani war criminals Representatives Dina Titus (D-NV) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) have introduced the bipartisan legislation. Armenia: Defense Ministry warns against involving army in political processes The Ministry’s statement came after a video surfaced online, showing soldiers joining the protests in Tavush. Scholz hopes Armenia-Azerbaijan peace treaty will be signed this year German Chancellor Olaf Scholz hopes that a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan will be signed this year. Ucom equips four bus stops in Ijevan with free Wi-Fi Ucom now provides free Wi-Fi coverage in smart bus stops in four communities of Ijevan. |