At least 15 people, 14 of whom were women, were killed in a car bomb attack targeting a vehicle carrying agricultural workers in northern Syria, according to first responders. The incident occurred on the outskirts of Manbij, east of Aleppo. The Syria Civil Defence agency, also known as the White Helmets, reported that another 15 women were injured, some critically, and cautioned that the death toll could increase.
No armed groups have claimed responsibility for the attack, the deadliest since rebel forces ousted President Bashar al-Assad in December. This bombing marks the second car bomb incident in Manbij in just three days.
Previously, on Saturday, four individuals, including two children and a woman, lost their lives in an explosion in the city center. The Syria Civil Defence noted that this attack was near a military post, resulting in the death of nine people, including several pro-Turkish fighters, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitoring organization.
Following the collapse of the Assad regime, conflicts have escalated in Manbij and its environs between Turkish-backed Syrian National Army factions and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces supported by the US. The SNA's offensive aims to reclaim territory west of the River Euphrates, controlled by the SDF since the expulsion of ISIS in 2016.
The SNA seized control of Manbij on December 9 after the Manbij Military Council forces withdrew. However, the SDF has initiated a counter-offensive since then.