A car bombing in northern Syria’s Manbij has killed at least 20 people and injured many others, according to the Syrian presidency. The attack occurred on a night when mostly agricultural workers were traveling in a vehicle, and the explosion was near a major road.
The incident is the deadliest in Syria since December last year, when President Bashar al-Assad stepped down. It is also the seventh car bombing in the area in just over a month, amid fighting between Turkish-backed forces and a Kurdish-dominated group.
Syria’s new President Ahmed al-Sharaa has condemned the attack as “terrorist” and pledged to pursue accountability for the perpetrators. The Syrian Civil Defence, known as the White Helmets, reported that at least 11 women and three children were killed in the blast.
No group has claimed responsibility for the explosion so far. The attacks have forced residents of Manbij to increase security measures, including setting up surveillance cameras and becoming more vigilant. The conflict over control of Manbij has changed hands several times throughout the Syrian war, which began in 2011.
Turkey views the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) as a “terrorist” group, while al-Sharaa is set to visit Turkey later this week after taking office on a transitional basis earlier this month.
Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/2/3/car-bombing-kills-20-in-northern-syria-manbij