The blast at the bustling marketplace in the Syrian border town of Azaz resulted in the tragic loss of at least seven lives and left 30 others injured. The incident occurred during the peak of late-night shopping, as residents were breaking their fast during the Muslim month of Ramadan.
The timing of the explosion exacerbated the impact, as the marketplace was congested with shoppers. Yaseen Shalabi, who was near the site of the blast with his family, highlighted the heavy congestion caused by the shoppers at that time.
As of now, there has been no claim of responsibility for the attack. Azaz, a town predominantly inhabited by Arabs and controlled by Syrian rebel groups supported by Turkey, has experienced relative calm since a car blast struck it over two years ago.
However, the northwestern border area, including main towns like Azaz, has been frequently targeted by bombings in crowded civilian areas in recent years. While some residents and rebels suspect the Kurdish-led YPG, which controls significant territories in northeast and northern Syria, others attribute the attacks to groups loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
The civil defense forces reported that at least thirty individuals were wounded, with some seriously injured individuals being transferred to local hospitals for treatment.
It's worth noting that the YPG has consistently denied involvement in such attacks, despite suspicions from some quarters. The situation underscores the ongoing challenges and risks faced by civilians in conflict-affected areas of Syria.
