Govt. official shot dead in Damascus restaurant April 19, 2013 - 14:54 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - A Syrian activist group says gunmen have shot and killed a government official in a Damascus restaurant, according to The Associated Press. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says Ali Ballan, head of public relations at the Ministry of Social Affairs and a member of Syria's relief agency was killed late Thursday, April 18. The group, which relies on a network of activists in Syria, said the shooting occurred in the western neighborhood of Mazzeh. It gave no further details Friday. Damascus has witnessed a number of assassinations since the country's crisis began in March 2011. Last month, a suicide bomb killed top Sunni Muslim preacher Sheikh Mohammad Said Ramadan al-Buti in a Damascus mosque. On July 18, a bomb inside a high-level crisis meeting in Damascus killed top security officials, including the defense minister.   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 |  Latest news Czech-Armenian military cooperation discussed in Yerevan  A delegation led by the Director General for the Industrial Cooperation Division of the Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic visited Armenia.U.S. welcomes efforts to define Armenia-Azerbaijan border The United States welcomes efforts to define the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, says Vedant Patel.Biden honors resilience of Armenian people on April 24 U.S. President Joe Biden has issued a statement on the 109th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.Ex-Karabakh leader moved to solitary confinement cell in Baku, his son says David Vardanyan is the son of former Karabakh leader Ruben Vardanyan who who is currently imprisoned in Azerbaijan. |
