7 killed in Damascus car bombJuly 17, 2013 - 16:18 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - A car bomb killed several civilians, including women and children, in a town south of Damascus on Wednesday, July 17 Syrian state television said, according to Reuters. The car was parked near the Amari Mosque in Kanaker, the channel reported. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a British-based monitoring group, quoted activists as saying seven people had died. The small town is under the control of President Bashar al-Assad's forces but there are rebels in the surrounding area. The province around Damascus has seen intense fighting during the two-year conflict. Syria's civil war started with pro-democracy protests that were suppressed by government forces. An ensuing civil war has killed 90,000 people and drawn in regional powers hoping to sway the outcome of the conflict. Assad's forces, spurred on by a series of recent battleground victories, have staved off rebel advances near Damascus and further south of the capital, in areas near the Jordanian border. Insurgents have used car bombs to target areas they are not able to push into with ground forces. Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. 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". Partner news | U.S., Armenia sign customs deal According to Armenian customs data, U.S.-Armenian trade reached $670 million last year. Glendale mayor to visit Yerevan Asatryan last visited Armenia in December 2022-January 2023 as she helped establish a partnership between Armenia’s Opera House and Los Angeles Opera. Ucom’s fixed network launches in Nor Hachn City residents will be able to use fixed-line Internet, mobile communications and television in one package at more affordable prices. Ambassador summoned to Russia returns to Armenia Sergei Kopyrkin has returned to Yerevan more than two weeks after being recalled to Moscow for consultations. |