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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