Dozens killed in Homs Armenian district car bomb blastMarch 7, 2014 - 12:51 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - At least 15 people were killed and 12 others wounded in a car bomb blast in the central Syrian city of Homs on Thursday, March 6 an NGO said, according to Agence France-Presse. "At least 15 people were killed and 12 others injured in the Armenian district, which is home to mostly Christians and Alawites," said Rami Abdel Rahman, director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Syria's President Bashar al-Assad comes from the Alawite community, a religious minority that stems from Shiite Islam. Syria's state news agency SANA reported a "terrorist attack" on the main street of the district, "which caused deaths, injuries and damage." The neighbourhood, in the east of Homs, is under government control. Homs, once dubbed the "capital" of Syria's revolution for its prominent, well-attended anti-government protests, has been the scene of fierce fighting between the regime and rebels. Part of its Old City under rebel control has been subjected to a tight government siege that has left several thousand civilians trapped. In recent weeks, UN and Red Crescent teams were able to evacuate some civilians and distribute food and medicine to those remaining in the besieged neighbourhoods, but the operations have halted. Related links: Top stories Six total incidents have burned 19 old-growth trees. Friday night 8 trees were torched along the beautiful main entrance. The EU does not intend to conduct military exercises with Armenia, Lead Spokesperson for EU Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Peter Stano says. Hikmet Hajiyev has said that there is no place for USAID operation in Azerbaijan any longer. A telephone conversation between Putin and Pashinyan before the CSTO summit is not planned, Peskov says. Partner 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. 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. Freedom House concerned by mounting reports of police violence in Armenia Freedom House urged Armenian authorities to investigate this pattern of excessive force and inhumane treatment. CSTO recognizes Armenia’s sovereign right to withdraw Tasmagambetov has said that if Armenia decides to leave the organization, “it will be the sovereign right of Armenia.” |