Blast at ammunition store kills 25 in TurkeySeptember 6, 2012 - 10:40 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - An explosion at an ammunition store in western Turkey during a routine inventory check has killed 25 soldiers and wounded four, government officials said on Thursday, Sept 6, according to Reuters. The blast, which happened late on Wednesday in the western city of Afyon, occurred as soldiers were moving stocks of hand grenades, Forestry Minister Veysel Eroglu, who visited the scene, told reporters. The military said the cause of the blast was not immediately known but both Eroglu and Afyon Governor Irfan Balkanlioglu said it was accidental and ruled out sabotage. In recent weeks, the Turkish military has been engaged in some of the heaviest fighting for years with Kurdish militants in the southeastern border region with Iraq and Syria, hundreds of kilometers away on the other side of the country. Fighter planes and attack helicopters pounded suspected Kurdish militant positions late on Wednesday in a major air-and-ground operation involving around 2,000 soldiers, security sources said. 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 |