On Saturday, approximately 43 people were killed after a car bomb exploded in a market in Syria, as reported by The Associated Press. The explosion occurred near the rebel-held town of Azaz and authorities believe it was caused by either a rigged fuel or water tanker.
The explosion comes after some major developments related to the ongoing conflict between Syrian and rebel forces. After the city of Aleppo was peacefully evacuated and the Syrian regime retook the city, Russia announced that it had come to terms with Syria, Syrian rebels, and Turkey on a ceasefire agreement. After rebels and civilians were pushed out of Aleppo during the offensives, many relocated to Azaz. The Associated Press reported Syrian Kurdish forces have been trying to advance on the town, which has caused some consternation between Turkish troops and allied Syrian opposition forces.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported 43 people were killed in the explosion, with dozens injured and buildings destroyed in the process. While authorities are still not certain who was responsible for the explosion, CBC News reported, through Turkey’s privately-owned Dogan news agency, ISIS was responsible for the explosion. But the Islamic state has not confirmed or taken responsibility for the explosion, which is usually pretty quick to react to situations like this.
(Via The Associated Press & CBC News)