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Amid militancy in the south, Usavi announces elections will be held next month
Elastani forces have hit Panwar-loyalists in Yuner province

ERITBA - Interim-president Hossein Usavi stated that nationwide democratic elections will be held to formally establish a new parliament, 16 years after elections were suspended by ousted-president Bahadar Panwar. Elections will be held next month, with Usavi intending to run alongside Prime Minister and longtime political partner Mayadav Roubi, with other parties emerging to also seek the executive. As Panwar remains in exile in De Yuan, the Elastani people have slowly begun adjusting to a democratic system.

Meanwhile, General Silmi Hassan, the Chief of Transitional Security, stated that Elastani troops killed up to 60 militants as a punishing ground and air offensive against former-regime fighters in the country's southwest ran into fierce resistance on Friday, the military said. The army pounded True Elasti Revolution (ETR) positions for a sixth day since launching its latest assault under international pressure after the hardliners advanced to within 100 kilometres (60 miles) of the regional capital Hasaveli.

As Beleroskov's Defense Minister, Arkadiy Yaroslavovich, visited Eritba to communicate a possible defense aid package for the fledgling new government, between 55 to 60 militants were killed in the last 24 hours in the district of Yuner, where the "operation is continuing successfully," a military spokesman told a briefing update at army headquarters. Based on combined tolls released by the military, nearly 200 militants have been killed in Operation Retribution since tanks, fighter jets and helicopter gunships swung into action in Yuner.

The Tree Elasti Revolution, comprised of roughly 20,000 estimated fighters who sided with Panwar despite his ouster in December amid a pro-democracy coup, have held out in the southern mountain regions along the border of Jaginistan and Hordestan. The militant campaign has proved to be a serious challenge for the government of interim-President Hossein Usavi, who pledged this week not to let the country's nuclear weapons arsenal fall into the hands of militants.