Syrian army begins storming two key militant strongholds in DamascusMarch 17, 2018 - 15:37 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Elite forces of the Syrian army have kicked-off a new assault operation against armed rebel groups in Damascus’ East Ghouta region, Al-Masdar News reports. According to military-affiliated sources, the Syrian army is conducting a concentric attack in the southernmost pocket of the East Ghouta area, targeting the militant stronghold districts of Kafr Batna and Saqba. Both districts are located in what sources describe as the rebel-controlled ‘urban heartland’ of East Ghouta – the attack by government forces is coming from both the northern (into Saqba) and eastern (into Kafr Batna) directions. At present, it is unclear which Syrian army formations are involved in the assault operation, however given general knowledge on the disposition of government units in east Damascus, it may very well be the case that both the Tiger Forces Division and the Republican Guard are involved. 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 | Cyprus parliament honors Armenian genocide victims Acting House President Zacharias Koulias noted that April 24 marks the “black anniversary” of the Armenian genocide. Armenia PM, France envoy discuss regional matters Issues related to the consistent development of Armenia-France cooperation were discussed. Azerbaijan razes historic Armenian church to ground Azerbaijan has demolished the historic Armenian Church of St. John the Baptist (known as Kanach Zham). Russia to begin assessing migrant workers' speaking skills Rosobrnadzor is planning to change the Russian language exam for migrant workers and include an assessment of speaking skills |