Deadly Car Bombing Claims Lives of Agricultural Workers in Northern Syria

In a recent car bomb attack in northern Syria, at least 15 agricultural workers lost their lives, predominantly women. The incident has raised concerns about the increasing violence in the region, amid ongoing clashes between Turkish-backed forces and Kurdish fighters.

A tragic car bomb explosion on the outskirts of Manbij, a city located east of Aleppo in northern Syria, has left at least 15 people dead, with the majority being women. The vehicle was transporting agricultural workers when the blast occurred, according to reports from the Syria Civil Defence, known as the White Helmets. Tragedy struck as 15 additional women were wounded in the incident, with some injuries classified as critical, prompting fears that the death toll may escalate.

As of now, no armed group has claimed responsibility for the bombing, which marks one of the deadliest attacks in the area since the fall of president Bashar al-Assad's regime back in December. This attack is particularly alarming as it is the second car bombing in just three days; the previous assault, which took place in central Manbij, resulted in the deaths of two children and a woman among four casualties, as confirmed by the Syria Civil Defence.

According to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the recent explosion occurred near a military position and took the lives of nine individuals, with several being pro-Turkish fighters. This reflects the ongoing volatility in the region, which has seen fierce confrontations between factions of the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the latter supported by the United States.

Since the SNA's capture of Manbij on December 9 after the SDF-affiliated Manbij Military Council withdrew, the SDF has engaged in a counter-offensive to reclaim territory in a region that has been rife with conflict, particularly since the defeat of the Islamic State (IS) in 2016. The recent spate of violence underscores the fragility of peace and security in northern Syria.