Car bomb kills at least 20 people in Syria

A car bomb struck the Syrian town of Manbij, killing at least 20 people, mostly farm workers. According to rescue workers, at least 14 women were killed and 15 others sustained injuries. However, a civil defence official informed Reuters that the death toll was likely to rise. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the blast. The attack, the second in three days, is the deadliest since Bashar al-Assad was deposed in December. The Syrian presidency condemned the attack and promised exemplary punishment for those responsible. Manbij, about 30km from the Turkish border, has seen frequent changes of control during the Syrian civil war. After being taken from Islamic State by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in 2016, it fell under the control of Turkish-backed groups in December 2024. As reported by the Syrian state news agency SANA, a car bomb in Manbij on the previous days resulted in the deaths of four civilians and injuries to nine others, including children.