2020 Afrin bombing

On the afternoon of 28 April 2020, a truck bombing occurred a few meters away from the governor's residence in Raju street in Afrin, Aleppo Governorate, currently under the Turkish occupation of northern Syria.[1][2][3] A bomb in a tank truck was detonated at an open-air market in Souk Ali in the city centre.[2][3] According to the governor of the neighbouring Hatay province, across the Turkish border, the explosion was believed to have been caused by the rigging of a fuel tanker with hand grenades.[4] The attack killed at least 53 civilians (including 11 children) and 12 Turkish-backed fighters, and injured over 50 others.[2][5][6][7] Many people, alongside those who got trapped in their cars were burnt to death as a result of the blast, Syrian activists disclosed.[8]

2020 Afrin bombing
Part of the Turkish occupation of northern Syria
LocationAfrin, Aleppo Governorate, Syria
DateApril 28, 2020
TargetMarketplace
Attack type
Truck bombing, mass murder
Deaths53
Injured50+
PerpetratorUnknown / not claimed
YPG (Turkish claim)
SNA infighting (SDF claim)

Responsibility

The Turkish government blamed the People's Protection Units (YPG).[2][3] The Syrian Democratic Council and the commander-in-chief of the Syrian Democratic Forces, Mazloum Abdi, condemned the bombing[9] and blamed Turkish policy, pointing out that "gangs armed by Turkey" had been involved in similar attacks.[10][11]

According to the German Marxist newspaper Junge Welt, the nature of the attack and recent tensions suggests a jihadist group.[12] Clashes between Turkey-backed jihadist militias of the Syrian National Army are regular occurrences in the Afrin and Idlib regions.[13][12] Significant tensions have recently re-emerged between Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the main rebel jihadist force in Idlib, and the Turkish government.[12] HTS has accused Ankara of treason since the Russian-Turkish ceasefire agreed in early March 2020. The week prior to the Afrin bombing, the militiamen destroyed a Turkish tank while the Turkish Air Force allegedly destroyed a HTS base by drone.[12]

References
  1. "Following Afrin carnage, Turkish intelligence adopt new precautionary measures by closing all city entrances • The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights". April 29, 2020.
  2. "Dozens killed in truck bomb attack at Syria market". BBC News. April 28, 2020 – via www.bbc.co.uk.
  3. "Bomb blast kills 40 people in Syria's Afrin". The Straits Times. April 28, 2020.
  4. "Syria war: Dozens killed in truck bomb attack at Afrin market".
  5. "Afrin carnage: death toll jumps to 52 persons, amid condemnation by opposition parties and organizations against Turkish authorities • The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights". The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights. 2020-04-29. Retrieved 2021-01-01.
  6. "PKK/YPG supporters rejoice in the Afrin terror attack". PKK/YPG supporters rejoice in the Afrin terror attack. Retrieved 2021-01-01.
  7. "Weekly Conflict Summary | 27 April - 3 May 2020" (PDF). Carter Center. May 3, 2020. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
  8. "Attack in Syria Town Run by Turkish-Backed Fighters Kills 40".
  9. "القوات الكردية تنفي الاتهامات التركية بوقوفها خلف تفجير عفرين الدموي والذي تسبب بمقتل وجرح أكثر من 100 شخص • المرصد السوري لحقوق الإنسان". April 29, 2020.
  10. "Mazlum Ebdi Efrin'deki saldırıyı kınadı". mezopotamyaajansi.com.
  11. Faidhi Dri, Karwan (2020-04-29). "Kurdish authorities in northeast Syria condemn 'cowardly' Afrin bombing". Rudaw.net. Retrieved 2020-05-03.
  12. "Massaker in Afrin". junge Welt (in German). 2020-04-30. Retrieved 2020-05-18.
  13. "UN rights chief calls for Turkey to probe violations in northern Syria". UN News. 2020-09-18. Retrieved 2020-09-22.

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