Nuclear scientists killed in gunfire near DamascusNovember 10, 2014 - 14:59 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - At least four nuclear scientists and electric engineers were killed near Damascus after gunmen opened fire on their bus, a pro-government Syrian newspaper and activists said on Monday, Nov 10. There was no fighting around where the men were killed, suggesting they were the target of the attack, activists said, according to the Associated Press. The pro-government Syrian newspaper Al-Watan said the men were heading to the Scientific Research Center near the Syrian capital when they were attacked on Sunday. The newspaper said the four were Syrian nationals, and suggested the al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front was behind the attack. Rami Abdurrahman of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said five nuclear engineers were killed, and that one of them was an Iranian national. The Britain-based Observatory closely monitors Syria's fighting through a network of activists on the ground. Abdurrahman said there was no fighting around where the men were killed, near a bridge on a highway leading out of Damascus. "There were no clashes there at all. It was an operation to assassinate them," said Abdurrahman. Syrian facilities suspected of being used for military and nuclear research have been targeted in the past. An Israeli airstrike struck a military and scientific research center near Damascus last May. The nature of the research center was unclear. In January, Syrian officials accused Israel of striking another scientific research center northwest of Damascus. In 2007, Israel bombed a suspected Syrian nuclear reactor — an attack confirmed by U.S. officials. Israel has never commented on the incident. Related links: 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 |