- Car explosion kills 7 in northern Syria market
- Azaz, near Turkish border, targeted; perpetrator unknown
- Victims include children; no group claims responsibility
A car explosion in northern Syria that targeted a bustling market has claimed the lives of at least seven individuals.
Several others were injured in the assault in the Aleppo province hamlet of Azaz, which is located close to the Turkish border.
The perpetrator of the assault in the town, which is governed by pro-Turkish militias engaged in opposition to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, remains unknown.
Proximate Turkish forces exercise authority over extensive territories in Syria along the shared frontier between the two nations.
The market was bustling with consumers purchasing new clothing for their children in anticipation of Eid al-Fitr. This Islamic holiday follows the conclusion of the fasting month of Ramadan, one month later.
Volunteer rescue organisation The White Helmets, which operates in Syria, reported that two children were among the victims.
The aftermath was captured on camera with bodies strewn across the ground, damaged structures, and the remains of a burning vehicle.
No group has acknowledged responsibility for the attack.
Thaer Hafar, 34, an employee of a store in Azaz, reported that he and his family heard a loud explosion en route to the market.
According to him, bystanders were horrified that a second car bomb would detonate.
“There is no safety or security,” he told AFP, adding, “We are terrified even when we are at home.”
The Syrian Interim Government, an opposition faction that asserts itself as the country’s legitimate authority, is headquartered in Azaz.
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Analysts have characterised the town as strategically significant amidst the civil war due to its proximity to the Turkish frontier and utility as a supply route.
It is not uncommon for congested civilian areas, including Azaz, to be the target of bombings in the northwestern border region of Syria.
When a car bomb exploded in front of the town’s courthouse in 2017, over forty individuals were murdered.
The Islamic State faction, which had previously taken control of the town in 2013 for a limited period, claimed responsibility for the assault.
