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| Suicide blast kills at least 41 near Al-Bab, Syria – reports | Suicide blast kills at least 41 near Al-Bab, Syria – reports |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| At least 41 people, including 35 civilians, have been killed near the Syrian city of Al-Bab, in the Aleppo Governorate, in an Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) suicide bombing, Reuters reports, citing security sources in the region. | At least 41 people, including 35 civilians, have been killed near the Syrian city of Al-Bab, in the Aleppo Governorate, in an Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) suicide bombing, Reuters reports, citing security sources in the region. |
| Earlier reports indicated different figures, with RIA Novosti first citing a rebel source on the ground as saying 15 people had been killed and dozens injured. | Earlier reports indicated different figures, with RIA Novosti first citing a rebel source on the ground as saying 15 people had been killed and dozens injured. |
| According to earlier reports from RIA's rebel sources, it remains unclear if the explosion was caused by a car bomb or a suicide bomber. | According to earlier reports from RIA's rebel sources, it remains unclear if the explosion was caused by a car bomb or a suicide bomber. |
| The blast occurred in a particularly dense public area. | The blast occurred in a particularly dense public area. |
| Six rebels were among those killed, Reuters reports, citing sources in the region, who said a car bomb was used in the attack. | Six rebels were among those killed, Reuters reports, citing sources in the region, who said a car bomb was used in the attack. |
| The incident follows the Turkish military's announcement that Al-Bab had been liberated from IS in a joint operation with armed anti-government rebels. The operation began in August 2016. | The incident follows the Turkish military's announcement that Al-Bab had been liberated from IS in a joint operation with armed anti-government rebels. The operation began in August 2016. |
| When the operation is over, “we will be able to say that Al-Bab has been completely cleared of Daesh elements,” Turkish Defense Minister Fikri Isik said Thursday, using an Arabic acronym for the Islamic State terrorist group. | When the operation is over, “we will be able to say that Al-Bab has been completely cleared of Daesh elements,” Turkish Defense Minister Fikri Isik said Thursday, using an Arabic acronym for the Islamic State terrorist group. |
| Al-Bab and two smaller towns, Qabasin and al-Bezah, are said to be the terrorist group’s last remaining stronghold in Syria’s northwest. | Al-Bab and two smaller towns, Qabasin and al-Bezah, are said to be the terrorist group’s last remaining stronghold in Syria’s northwest. |
| The victory in Al-Bab may have been exaggerated on Thursday, as rebel commanders from the Free Syrian Army reported success. “We had reached the city center yesterday but there was a suicide attack so we had to withdraw a little bit,” a fighter from the Sultan Murad Brigade told Reuters by phone on Thursday, referring to another earlier attack. He reported terrorists laying mines along the tunnels running below ground. | |
| These reports were corroborated by other field commanders in interviews to AFP, celebrating IS being kicked out of the town completely, and follow the February 17 report that Al-Bab was almost a done deal – while reports were emerging that IS was still in control of 90 percent of the town. |