Iraqi forces readying to seal Syrian borderApril 10, 2018 - 11:25 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The Iraqi military is preparing for a major operation that is meant to officially seal off the Iraqi-Syrian border 'once and for all', Al-Masdar News reports. Led by their Popular Mobilization Units (var. Hashd Al-Sha’abi), the Iraqi military has deployed a large number of personnel to the western countryside of the Al-Anbar Governorate. The Iraqi military will attempt to clear all of the Islamic State’s (IS) sleeper cells around the Deir ez-Zor-Anbar axis, which would be a difficult task without cooperation from the Syrian Army and Kurdish-led forces. According to local reports in Deir ez-Zor, the Iraqi military will be launching the operation in coordination with the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), marking the first time during the war that either entity has worked together. 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. |