Car bomb in northern Syria has killed 20 people, the deadliest incident since Assad’s overthrow

A car bomb explosion in the northern Syrian city of Manbij on Monday resulted in the deaths of at least 20 individuals, according to a statement from the Syrian presidency. This incident marks the second attack in the city within three days and is the deadliest since the ousting of Bashar al-Assad in December. The presidency condemned the act, labeling it a “terror attack,” and vowed to hold those responsible accountable.

“This crime will not go unpunished, and the harshest penalties will be imposed on the perpetrators to deter anyone who seeks to undermine Syria‘s security or harm its citizens,” the statement emphasized.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack in Manbij, which is situated approximately 30 kilometers (19 miles) from the Turkish border. Preliminary reports from the civil defense rescue service indicated that at least 14 of the deceased were women, with an additional 15 women reported injured. The victims were identified as agricultural workers, and officials warned that the death toll could rise.

Throughout Syria’s 13-year civil war, Manbij has changed control multiple times, most recently in December when Turkish-backed forces seized it from the U.S.-supported Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which is predominantly led by the Kurdish YPG militia. The SDF had previously taken control of Manbij from Islamic State militants in 2016.

On Saturday, another car bomb in Manbij resulted in the deaths of four civilians and injuries to nine others, including children, as reported by the Syrian state news agency SANA.

Bashar al-Assad was removed from power on December 8 following a rapid offensive by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), whose leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, was recently declared Syria’s transitional president.