Kurdish forces seize village from Islamic State near the EuphratesNovember 14, 2017 - 14:23 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - On the 65th day of operation Al-Jazirah Storm, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) pushed further southwards along the eastern side of the Euphrates River amid clashes with Islamic State insurgents, Al-Masdar News reports. Following the liquidation of two rearguard Islamic State pockets in eastern Deir ez-Zor last week, the Kurdish-led SDF took control of Shahil overnight. This frontier village is located 40 kilometers southeast of Deir Ezzor City. Following the shootout and assault of the village, 11 IS militants were neutralized and a pickup truck destroyed. In the aftermath, the US-supported SDF captured a handful of Kalashnikovs from the deceased jihadists. Meanwhile, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) is about to push southwards along the western side of the Euphrates River. Effectively, the future border between the SAA and SDF is about to be established. Photo. AFP/DELIL SOULEIMAN 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 | Narek Manasyan wins European Boxing Championships silver for Armenia Armenia’s Narek Manasyan (92kg) won Armenia’s second silver medal at the European Boxing Championships 2024 on April 28. Blinken urges Azerbaijan to continue negotiations with Armenia Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken has urged Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to continue negotiations with Armenia. Pashinyan, Blinken talk Armenia-U.S. ties over the phone Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had a phone conversation with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on April 28, Pashinyan’s office reports. Titus, Bilirakis lead legislation to sanction Azerbaijani war criminals Representatives Dina Titus (D-NV) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) have introduced the bipartisan legislation. |