Islamic State, rebels cause heavy casualties to each other in DaraaJune 5, 2018 - 13:23 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The Islamic State (IS) launched a big assault against the Free Syrian Army (FSA) troops in western Dara’a n Monday, June 4, Al-Masdar news reports. Led by their southern Syria affiliate, Jaysh Khaled bin Walid, the Islamic State managed to capture at least two points from the Free Syrian Army, while claiming to kill several of their members. In response, pro-FSA activists reported that rebel reinforcements arrived to the town of Heit, where they began to counter the terrorist group in a bid to reclaim their lost territory. These latest attacks by both the FSA and IS have proven costly, as they both brace for a large-scale offensive from the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) in both Dara’a and Al-Quneitra. While IS is currently away from the Syrian Army’s lines, this could ultimately change after their offensive in southern Al-Quneitra. 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 |