Bomb kills at least near Shi'ite shrine in Damascus suburbOctober 31, 2012 - 18:21 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - A bomb killed at least six people on Wednesday, Oct 31, near a Shi'ite shrine in a suburb of the Syrian capital Damascus, state media and opposition activists said. According to Reuters, state media said 13 people were also wounded in the explosion in the Sayeda Zainab district. The semi-official Addounia television said the bomb was placed in a garbage bag. Another bomb in the area was defused, the station said. "The explosion occurred just east of the shrine. Lots of people are also wounded," said one of the activists in the area. "Security personnel have swarmed the area. It is not clear whether the target was the shrine or a security compounding adjacent to it," he added. Groups opposed to President Bashar al-Assad say seven people died in the blast. The poor neighborhood, inhabited by a mix of Sunni and Shi'ite Muslims, is marked by the colored tile and mirror shrine, located near several security compounds, as well as an office for Shi'ite Iraqi cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. Concern among Shi'ites and moderate Sunnis have been rising that Sunni zealots could target the shrine for Zainab, the Prophets' granddaughter and wife of the Caliph Ali, who is highly revered by Shi'ites. As the 19-month revolt against Assad turns bloodier, sectarian tension has increased between members of the country's Sunni Majority and Assad's Alawite sect, an offshoot of Shi'ite Islam that has dominated power in the country since the 1960s. Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. 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". Partner news | Surveying works underway in Armenia’s Kirants Surveying works are underway in the Armenian village of Kirants in the northern Tavush province. Armenia calls for prohibiting threats of attacks on nuclear facilities Armenia has raised the need for a treaty prohibiting attacks on nuclear facilities devoted to peaceful purposes. Armenia says ready to extend nuclear plant’s lifetime by 10 years Armenia has taken necessary measures to extend the lifetime of its nuclear power plant until 2036. Ameriabank's Trade Finance portfolio enriched with four prestigious awards from EBRD and IFC Ameriabank received the awards from international financial institutions in recognition of its trade finance operations. |