Syrian army driven back in east Damascus in a joint offensiveDecember 30, 2017 - 13:23 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Two jihadist militias operating in rebel-held east Damascus, Ha’yat Tahrir al-Sham (formerly Jabhat al-Nusra, the Syrian branch of Al-Qaeda) and Ahrar al-Sham (Muslim Brotherhood affiliate), have joined forces and launched a powerful offensive against the Syrian Arab Army, targeting a vulnerable salient in the district of Harasta, Al-Masdar News reports. According to reports, Ha’yat Tahrir al-Sham and Ahrar al-Sham opened up their offensive with bulldozer bomb driven by a Saudi jihadist. It is unclear if the suicide bomber his mark intended mark or if his charge was destroyed per-maturely by army forces. Immediately after the bulldozer detonated, violent clashes erupted in the area surrounding a key army base, represented by a vehicle depot, currently held by pro-government forces. It appears the military installation is the main target of the jihadist offensive. At first, rebel fighters managed to overrun some army positions near the vehicle depot, however, the Syrian Army responded by calling on artillery and airstrikes which in turn laid down a wall of suppressible fire with shells, rockets and bombs. Syrian army forces also detonated a prepared tunnel bomb which helped in foiling an assault by militants from the northern approaches to the base. Clashes are ongoing for the area despite some reports suggesting otherwise, however it appears for now the Syrian Army has managed to stabilize the situation and may soon launch a counter-attack to reclaim lost positions. Photo. Reuters 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 | Government reveals details from Pashinyan’s meeting in border village Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has met with a group of residents of a border village in Armenia’s northern Tavush province 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. |