Damascus, November 10 (RHC)-- Reports from Damascus say five nuclear engineers have been assassinated by unknown assailants near a research center in the northern section of the Syrian capital.

The so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the attack was carried out on Sunday near the Barzeh neighborhood of Damascus. It says all of them were shot dead when their bus was ambushed on the way to the research center. Syrian officials have made no official comments on the incident.

In a similar incident in July last year, six people working at the same center were killed in a mortar attack carried out by anti-government militants.

Syria has been gripped by deadly violence since 2011. Western powers and some of their regional allies - especially Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey - are reportedly supporting the mercenaries operating in Syria.