Kurdish-led fighters advance on last IS bastion in eastern SyriaMarch 19, 2019 - 14:59 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Kurdish-led fighters advanced in the Islamic State group's last bastion in eastern Syria, confining holdout jihadists to a tiny pocket on the edge of Baghouz village, the force said Tuesday, March 18, AFP reports. The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces said those IS fighters who had not yet surrendered had been forced out of their main encampment and cornered into a very small area on the banks of the Euphrates River. "SDF is in control of the Daesh encampment area in Baghouz," spokesman Mustefa Bali said on Twitter in English, using the Arabic acronym for the jihadist group. But SDF fighters have not taken up positions in the so-called encampment, a jumble of mangled vehicles, makeshift berms and tents on the edge of Baghouz village. "This is not a victory announcement, but a significant progress in the fight against Daesh," Bali said. After another night of fighting and the surrender of yet another batch of jihadist fighters, the few acres of land controlled by IS shrank further. It is unclear how long the unknown number of holdout jihadists could last but Bali said some of them were still fighting back. "Clashes are continuing as a group of ISIS terrorists who are confined into a tiny area still fight back," Bali said in English, using an alternative acronym for IS. AFP reporters in Baghouz saw IS jihadists moving across the edges of the now mostly deserted encampment, and fighting taking place in an area closer to the river. Backed by warplanes from the US-led coalition, the SDF launched their final assault on Baghouz on February 9. The offensive, the last phase of a broad operation launched more than six months ago to wipe out the remnants of a "caliphate" declared in 2014, has been slowed by the presence inside the IS redoubt of a large number of civilians. Tens of thousands of people -- jihadist fighters, their relatives and other civilians -- have poured out of the IS pocket in recent weeks. Related links: 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 | Titus, Bilirakis lead legislation to sanction Azerbaijani war criminals Representatives Dina Titus (D-NV) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) have introduced the bipartisan legislation. Armenia: Defense Ministry warns against involving army in political processes The Ministry’s statement came after a video surfaced online, showing soldiers joining the protests in Tavush. Scholz hopes Armenia-Azerbaijan peace treaty will be signed this year German Chancellor Olaf Scholz hopes that a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan will be signed this year. Ucom equips four bus stops in Ijevan with free Wi-Fi Ucom now provides free Wi-Fi coverage in smart bus stops in four communities of Ijevan. |