At least 7 killed in car blast at Syrian-Turkish borderFebruary 11, 2013 - 18:25 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - A car exploded at a border crossing on Turkey's border with Syria near the Turkish town of Reyhanli on Monday, Feb 11, killing at least seven people and wounding dozens more, officials said, according to Reuters. The mayor of Reyhanli told CNN Turk that four of those killed were Turkish and that the car which exploded had Syrian license plates. Witnesses said they saw it drive up to the border post shortly before the explosion. "There are at least seven dead, 33 wounded and that number could go up ... We don't know whether this was a suicide bomb or whether a car that was smuggling petrol across the border blew up," one Turkish official told Reuters. Television footage and photographs showed severe damage to a series of cars at the border, where a gate was blown open and part of the roof collapsed. "There was an explosion in the no-man's zone. It was not a mortar attack. It was very strong," a Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman said. The Cilvegozu border gate, several kilometers outside the town of Reyhanli, sits opposite the Syrian gate of Bab al-Hawa, which the rebels captured last July. Refugees cross back and forth and Turkish trucks also deliver goods into no-man's land between the two gates, where they are picked up by Syrians. Turkey is a staunch supporter of the almost two-year-old uprising against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and has harbored both Syrian refugees and rebels. 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 |