Druze leader killed in Syria car bomb attack: monitorSeptember 5, 2015 - 10:15 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - A car bomb blast killed a Druze leader and at least three other people in southern Syria on Friday, a monitor said, according to Reuters. The explosion on the outskirts of the town of Sweida killed Sheikh Wahid al-Balous, who opposed both the Syrian government and Islamist insurgents fighting against it, the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. A separate blast that occurred around the same time in Sweida killed and wounded dozens of people, the Observatory said. Syrian state television confirmed the two blasts and said eight people had been killed, blaming the explosions on insurgents. The state media did not mention the Druze leader. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blasts. After the attack, dozens of people protested outside government buildings in the Sweida area, setting cars alight and destroying a statue in the town of former President Hafez al-Assad, father of President Bashar al-Assad, the Observatory 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 | Armenian, Saudi Foreign Minister meet in Riyadh The two commended the positive dynamics of the development of political dialogue between Armenia and Saudi Arabia Pashinyan: Azerbaijan’s proximity shouldn’t worry border residents At the same time, he said that he “does not guarantee [the security of villagers] one hundred percent”. U.S. doesn’t see Russia as contributing to peace in Caucasus Patel made the remarks when asked about the implications of Russia’s withdrawal of peacekeepers from Karabakh. Up to 1% cashback when shopping on Wildberries with IDBank cards IDBank is launching an exclusive campaign on Wildberries for online shopping enthusiasts. |