Car bombing in northern Syria kills at least seven in busy market

Published: 31 March 2024 at 03:29

Politics

A car bombing in the town of Azaz in northern Syria targeting a busy market has killed at least seven people, including two children. The attack, which caused significant damage and a fire, occurred in an area controlled by pro-Turkish militias. Azaz is strategically important due to its proximity to the Turkish border and acts as a supply route in the ongoing civil war in Syria. No group has claimed responsibility for the bombing, but similar attacks have occurred in the region in the past.

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Azaz (Wikipedia)

Azaz (Arabic: أَعْزَاز, romanized: ʾAʿzāz) is a city in northwest Syria, roughly 20 miles (32 kilometres) north-northwest of Aleppo. According to the Syria Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), Azaz had a population of 31,623 in the 2004 census. As of 2015, its inhabitants were almost entirely Sunni Muslims, mostly Arabs but also some Kurds and Turkmen.It is historically significant as the site of the Battle of Azaz between the Crusader States and the Seljuk Turks on June 11, 1125. It is close to a Syria–Turkey border crossing, which enters Turkey at Öncüpınar, south of the city of Kilis. It is the capital of the Syrian Interim Government.

Azaz District (Wikipedia)

Azaz District (Arabic: منطقة أعزاز, romanized: manṭiqat A'zāz) is a district of Aleppo Governorate in northern Syria. The administrative centre is the city of Azaz. At the 2004 census, the district had a population of 251,769. The district lies between Afrin District to the west, Mount Simeon District to the south and al-Bab District to the east. To the north is the Kilis Province of Turkey.

Azaz Subdistrict (Wikipedia)

Azaz Subdistrict (Arabic: ناحية مركز أعزاز, romanized: Nāḥiyah A‘zāz) is a subdistrict of Azaz District in northwestern Aleppo Governorate of northern Syria. Administrative centre is the city of Azaz. Neighbouring subdistricts are Sawran to the east, Tell Rifaat to the south, and the subdistricts Afrin and Bulbul of Afrin District to the west or southwest, respectively. To the north is the Kilis Province of Turkey.At the 2004 census, the subdistrict had a population of 47,570.

Battle of Azaz (2012) (Wikipedia)

The Battle of Azaz took place between the Syrian Arab Army and the Free Syrian Army for control of the city of Azaz, north of Aleppo, during the early insurgency phase of the Syrian Civil War.

Series of Airstrikes in Eastern Syria Kill Dozen, Including WHO Team Member

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Israeli Airstrikes Near Aleppo Cause Casualties

Israeli airstrikes near the Syrian city of Aleppo have resulted in casualties among civilians and military personnel, with conflicting reports on the exact numbers. The strikes coincided with drone attacks by Syrian insurgent groups on civilian targets in Aleppo and its suburbs. The Israeli strikes targeted missile depots belonging to Hezbollah in southern Aleppo, leading to dozens of soldiers being killed or wounded. Israel frequently conducts airstrikes on Iran-linked targets in Syria without public acknowledgment.

Islamic State militants kill at least 18 truffle hunters in Syria desert

Islamic State (IS) group gunmen attacked truffle hunters in Syria's Deir al-Zour province, killing at least 18 people and leaving over 50 missing. The desert truffles, a prized delicacy selling for $35 per kg, attract hunters despite the risks. IS, once controlling a large territory, continues to pose a threat with sleeper cells. In a separate incident, an al-Qaida-linked group released over 400 detainees in Syria's northwest after protests. Anti-HTS sentiments rise amid accusations of torture and arrests within the group.

Syrian civil war (Wikipedia)

The Syrian civil war (Arabic: ٱلْحَرْبُ ٱلْأَهْلِيَّةُ ٱلسُّورِيَّةُ, romanized: al-ḥarb al-ʾahlīyah al-sūrīyah) is an ongoing multi-sided conflict in Syria involving various state-sponsored and non-state actors.In March 2011, popular discontent with the rule of Bashar al-Assad triggered large-scale protests and pro-democracy rallies across Syria, as part of the wider Arab Spring protests in the region. After months of crackdown by governments security apparatus, various armed rebel groups such as the Free Syrian Army began forming across the country, marking the beginning of the Syrian insurgency. By mid-2012, the crisis had escalated into a full-blown civil war.Receiving arms from NATO and GCC states, rebel forces initially made significant advances against the government forces, who were receiving arms from Iran and Russia. Rebels captured the regional capitals of Raqqa in 2013 and Idlib in 2015. Consequently, in September 2015, Russia launched a military intervention in support of the government, shifting the balance of the conflict. By late 2018, all rebel strongholds, except parts of Idlib region, had fallen to the government forces.In 2014, the Islamic State group seized control of large parts of Eastern Syria and Western Iraq, prompting the U.S.-led CJTF coalition to launch aerial bombing campaign against it, while providing ground support to the Kurdish-majority Syrian Democratic Forces. Culminating in the Battle of Raqqa, the Islamic State was territorially defeated by late 2017. In August 2016, Turkey launched a multi-pronged invasion of northern Syria, in response to the creation of Rojava, while also fighting Islamic State and government forces in the process. Since the March 2020 Idlib ceasefire, the frontline fighting during the conflict has mostly subsided, and has been characterized by regular skirmishes.

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The Syrian civil war, now in its 14th year, has seen a recent increase in violence with areas controlled by the Damascus government, opposition groups, and Kurdish forces. Nearly 30,000 children are facing human rights abuses in Syria. The UN-backed commission reports the worst wave of violence since 2020, with over 12 million Syrians lacking regular access to food. The World Food Program plans to end its main assistance program in Syria by 2024.

Syria (Wikipedia)

Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It is bounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east and southeast, Jordan to the south, and Israel and Lebanon to the southwest. Cyprus lies to the west across the Mediterranean Sea. It is a unitary republic that consists of 14 governorates (subdivisions). A country of fertile plains, high mountains, and deserts, Syria is home to diverse ethnic and religious groups, including the majority Arabs, Kurds, Turkmens, Assyrians, Circassians, Armenians, Albanians, Greeks, and Chechens. Religious groups include Muslims, Christians, Alawites, Druze, and Yazidis. The capital and largest city is Damascus, followed by Aleppo, Homs, Latakia, Hama, Deirezor, and Raqqa. Arabs are the largest ethnic group, and Sunni Muslims are the largest religious group. Syria is now the only country that is governed by Ba'athists, who advocate Arab socialism and Arab nationalism.The name "Syria" historically referred to a wider region, broadly synonymous with the Levant, and known in Arabic as al-Sham. The modern state encompasses the sites of several ancient kingdoms and empires, including the Eblan civilization of the 3rd millennium BC. In the Islamic era, Damascus was the seat of the Umayyad Caliphate and a provincial capital of the Mamluk Sultanate in Egypt. The modern Syrian state was established in the mid-20th century after centuries of Ottoman rule. After a period as a French mandate (1923–1946), the newly created state represented the largest Arab state to emerge from the formerly Ottoman-ruled Syrian provinces. It gained de jure independence as a democratic parliamentary republic on 24 October 1945 when the Republic of Syria became a founding member of the United Nations, an act which legally ended the former French mandate (although French troops did not leave the country until April 1946).The post-independence period was tumultuous, with multiple military coups and coup attempts shaking the country between 1949 and 1971. In 1958, Syria entered a brief union with Egypt called the United Arab Republic, which was terminated by the 1961 Syrian coup d'état. The republic was renamed as the Arab Republic of Syria in late 1961 after the December 1 constitutional referendum of that year. A significant event was the 1963 coup d'état carried out by the military committee of the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party which established a one-party state. It ran Syria under emergency law from 1963 to 2011, effectively suspending constitutional protections for citizens. Internal power-struggles within Ba'athist factions caused further coups in 1966 and 1970, which eventually resulted in the seizure of power by General Hafiz al-Assad. Assad assigned Alawite loyalists to key posts in the armed forces, bureaucracy, Mukhabarat and the ruling elite; effectively establishing an "Alawi minority rule" to consolidate power within his family.After the death of Hafiz al-Assad in 2000, his son Bashar al-Assad inherited the presidency and political system centered around a cult of personality to the al-Assad family. The Ba'ath regime is a totalitarian dictatorship that has been internationally condemned for its political repression alongside its numerous human rights abuses, including summary executions, massive censorship, forced disappearances, mass-murders, barrel-bombings, chemical attacks and other war-crimes. Following its violent suppression of the Arab Spring protests of the 2011 Syrian Revolution, the Syrian government was suspended from the Arab League in November 2011 for over 11 years, until its reinstatement in 2023. Since July 2011, Syria has been embroiled in a multi-sided civil war, with involvement of different countries. The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation suspended Syria in August 2012 citing "deep concern at the massacres and inhuman acts" perpetrated by forces loyal to Bashar al-Assad. As of 2020, three political entities – the Syrian Interim Government, Syrian Salvation Government, and Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria – have emerged in Syrian territory to challenge Assad's rule.Syria is a member of the Non-Aligned Movement and the Arab League. Being ranked third last on the 2022 Global Peace Index and 5th highest in the 2023 Fragile States Index, Syria is one of the most violent countries in the world. The country is amongst the most dangerous places for journalism and is ranked 6th worst in 2023 World Press Freedom Index. Syria is the most corrupt country in the MENA region and was ranked the second lowest globally on the 2022 Corruption Perceptions Index. The country has also become the epicentre of a state-sponsored multi-billion dollar illicit drug cartel, the largest in the world. The Syrian civil war has killed more than 570,000 people, with pro-Assad forces causing more than 90% of the total civilian casualties. The war led to the Syrian refugee crisis, with an estimated 7.6 million internally displaced people (July 2015 UNHCR figure) and over 5 million refugees (July 2017 registered by UNHCR), making population assessment difficult in recent years. The war has also worsened economic conditions, with more than 90% of the population living in poverty and 80% facing food insecurity.