A devastating car bomb explosion in the northern Syrian city of Manbij on Monday claimed the lives of at least 20 individuals, primarily women working in agriculture, as tensions continue to rise between Kurdish forces and Turkey-backed groups in the region. State media, referencing accounts from the White Helmets rescue organization, described the incident as a “massacre” that occurred on a local road, where a car bomb detonated near a vehicle transporting farm workers. Reports indicate that among the deceased were 14 women and one man, with 15 other women sustaining injuries, some of which were described as critical. The casualty figures may rise as the situation develops.
The attack marks the second such violent incident in a matter of days within Syria, a country deeply scarred by years of conflict. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a monitoring group, previously reported that a car bomb explosion on Saturday resulted in the deaths of nine individuals, including several pro-Turkey fighters, near a military position in the same city of Manbij.
The escalation of violence in the area accompanies an ongoing military offensive launched by Turkey-backed forces against the Kurdish-led, US-supported Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) that began in November. Despite efforts from the United States to negotiate a ceasefire, the Turkish-backed forces have managed to capture several Kurdish-held territories in northern Syria.
The SDF has been a critical player in the fight against the Islamic State jihadist group, successfully leading military campaigns that expelled ISIS from much of Syria by 2019. However, Turkey has long accused the SDF’s main component, the People’s Protection Units (YPG), of being linked to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), a group designated as a terrorist organization by both Turkey and the United States due to its ongoing insurgency against the Turkish state.
In the wake of the recent violence, Syria’s current authorities have called for the SDF to relinquish their weapons and have dismissed any aspirations for Kurdish self-rule in the region.
The situation in Syria remains dire, as President Bashar al-Assad’s regime has maintained a brutal grip on power since the onset of civil unrest in 2011, which resulted in a conflict that has left more than 500,000 people dead and millions displaced. As hostilities continue, the humanitarian crisis deepens, leaving many in urgent need of assistance amidst the chaos.
