13 French officers detained in Syria - sourceMarch 5, 2012 - 17:05 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - 13 French officers are being held by Syrian authorities in Syria, sources have confirmed, according to The Daily Star. The group is in custody in the central city of Homs, a Damascus-based pro-Syrian Palestinian source in Beirut said. Sources said the group is being held in a field hospital in the city. It was not clear why the officers were in Syria, when they had arrived or whether they were part of a larger contingent in the city. Strategic Homs was targeted in a 26-day shelling bombardment by the Syrian Army, which overran the city where anti-Assad protests and Free Syrian Army operations have been focused. French journalist Remi Ochlick and American Marie Colvin were killed in one shelling attack on a makeshift media center on Feb 22. French reporters Edith Bouvier, who was wounded in the attack, and William Daniels were among four journalists subsequently holed-up in the neighborhood for one week, before being smuggled to Lebanon. French Ambassador Eric Chevallier returned to Damascus last week to try to get Bouvier and Daniels out of Syria, after being recalled to Paris two weeks earlier over the Syrian conflict. As assaults on Homs continued Friday, France said it was shutting its embassy. A French Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said there was “no confirmation” of French armed forces being held in Syria. Damascus has not commented on the presence of French troops on their soil. Sources said Paris and Damascus were working to reach an agreement on what to do with the officers. 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 | Viva-MTS: Tech solutions to modernize infrastructure of border village The border village has been the focus of Viva-MTS and the Foundation for the Preservation of Wildlife and Cultural Values since 2015. Ucom's fixed network launched in Artashat To mark this occasion, the company has introduced a special offer exclusively for Artashat residents. “By Your Side”: IDBank's new support program for displaced Artsakh citizens IDBank is launching a long-term social support program for forcibly displaced Artsakh residents. The Power of One Dram to benefit Road of Life charity The companies inform that the May beneficiary of The Power of One Dram is the “Road of Life” charitable organization. |