Terror attack kills 1 in Afrin, northwestern Syria

By Omer Koparan, Ethem Emre Ozcan, and Mehmet Burak Karacaoglu

AFRIN, Syria (AA) - At least one person was killed in a terror blast in northwestern Syria on Tuesday, according to local sources.

An explosives-laden vehicle blew up in the opposition-held city of Afrin, leaving 13 others injured, Anadolu Agency learned from sources on the ground.

Apart from the casualties, material damage was also reported in the area, including Turkish humanitarian agency Humanitarian Relief Foundation’s Afrin office.

Though no group has claimed responsibility for the attack, it is likely carried out via the YPG/PKK terrorists.

Earlier in the day, at least five civilians were killed and 18 others injured when attackers detonated an explosive-laden vehicle in the al-Bab district of the Aleppo province, according to Anadolu Agency reporters on the ground.

Afrin was largely cleared of YPG/PKK terrorists by Turkey in 2018 through its anti-terror offensive Operation Olive Branch, but they still act as sleeping cells.

YPG/PKK terrorists continue to carry out attacks but do not claim responsibility, as they end up harming civilians, according to local security sources.

The YPG/PKK terror group, attacking from Syria's adjacent Tal Rifaat and Manbij regions, often targets Jarabulus, Azaz, Afrin, and al-Bab.

In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the US and EU -- has been responsible for the deaths of nearly 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants. The YPG is the PKK’s Syrian branch.

Since 2016, Turkey has launched a trio of successful anti-terror operations across its border in northern Syria to prevent the formation of a terror corridor and to enable the peaceful settlement of residents: Euphrates Shield (2016), Olive Branch (2018), and Peace Spring (2019).

* Writing by Zehra Nur Duz in Ankara.