The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights Director Rami Abdel Rahman says it appears to have been "kamikaze bombers” who detonated explosives at the gathering taking place in the town of Cizire Canton in Hasakeh region in northern Syria. One of the major Kurdish news sources rudaw.net reports that 56 people died in the terrorist attacks during a celebration of Nowruz, the new year holiday festivities.
According to Syrian news agency ARA News, two explosions happened within two minutes of each other in Martyrs Square, 50 meters apart.
— A Dunon (@ArjDnn) March 20, 2015
— A Dunon (@ArjDnn) March 20, 2015
For months now, Kurdish fighters have been battling the self-proclaimed Islamic State in skirmishes that have resulted in hundreds of casualties.
Self-proclaimed Islamic State terrorists threatened Kurds on the eve of the festival because they consider Nowruz to be a pagan holiday.
The Hasakeh province is mostly populated by Kurds, but IS controls parts of the region that borders Turkey and Iraq.
Many of the wounded have been taken to nearby hospitals and an urgent call for blood donations has gone out.
Joan Ibrahim, the Commander of the Asayish, or Kurdish security forces, "the crime that occurred today in Hasakeh will not pass without retribution."
The attacks happen on the same day that IS released a video purporting to show the beheadings of three Kurdish peshmerga fighters in northern Iraq by militants who threatened to kill more of those being held captive. The video could not be independently verified.
This is the second major terrorist attack Friday reportedly carried out by IS. Suicide bombers attacked two mosques in Yemen's capital, killing at least 150 and injuring 345. Four suicide bombers blew themselves up in Badr and Al-Hashhoosh mosques in Sanaa, Yemen, said local law enforcement.
