Islamic State suicide attack on border town 'kills scores of Iraqis'August 29, 2018 - 16:40 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - At least 20 people were killed, scores others injured when a car exploded in al-Qa’im town near the borders with Syria, Al-Masdar News reports. The suicide attack, carried out by the Islamic State, hit a joint checkpoint for Iraqi forces and Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) in southern entrance of the town. According to initial reports, up to 8 PMU fighters were killed in the blast. A security source said that strict security measures have been taken inside al-Qa’im and neighboring areas to ward off potential attacks by IS. Iraqi Army helicopters were seen hovering overhead. “The town has already been under high security measures. However, being a bordering town with Syria, this has made it vulnerable to IS attacks”, the source added. 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 |