Bomb attack kills 5, injures 12 civilians in NE Syria

By Sena Guler

ANKARA (AA) – At least five civilians were killed in a bomb attack in northeastern Syria, Turkey’s National Defense Ministry said Sunday.

“Terrorists, enemy of humanity, detonated an IED [improvised explosive device] they planted in the market place and massacred five civilians, injured 12 others,” the ministry said on Twitter.

It added that the YPG/PKK once again targeted innocent civilians to disrupt the peace environment in the Operation Peace Spring area.

The explosion took place in the center of Ras al-Ayn, a city near the Turkish border.

Ras al-Ayn was liberated from YPG/PKK terrorists last October as part of Turkey's Operation Peace Spring, launched to secure Turkey's borders by eliminating the terror group from northern Syria east of the Euphrates River, aid in the safe return of Syrian refugees, and ensure Syria's territorial integrity.

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 offshoot.