A car explosion that left at least 10 people dead and 25 injured has been reported in the town of Tell Abyad, Syria, close to the border with Turkey.
"Ten people were killed and 25 were injured as a result of a car bomb exploding in the north Syrian city of Tal Abyad," a source from the Middle Eastern country's opposition Free Syrian Army said.
Following the blast, the roads leading to and from the town were closed by the local authorities, while those gravely injured were sent to a hospital in the nearby Turkish town of Akçakale.
Six dead and dozens injured in a car bomb explosion in #Tal_Abyad city north of #Raqqa pic.twitter.com/wtXYhEULbY
— Mohammed Ghorab (@MGhorab3) 23 ноября 2019 г.
No terrorist group has claimed responsibility yet.
انفجار سيارة مفخخة وسط مدينة تل أبيض شمالي الرقة صباح اليوم وسقوط شهداء وجرحى pic.twitter.com/kH0T28cFcx
— Mahmood Talha |أبو مجاهد الحلبي (@mahmoodtalha22) 23 ноября 2019 г.
In mid-October, the town of Tell Abyad was retaken by the Turkish Armed Forces and the Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army from the Syrian Democratic Force as part of Turkey's Operation Peace Spring.
Ankara launched its offensive in northeastern Syria on 9 October to create a safe zone free of the Kurdish militants that it viewed as terrorists.
Just over a week later, the United States and Turkey agreed to a 120-hour ceasefire in the area to allow the withdrawal of the Kurdish fighters.
Earlier this week, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that the Kurdish forces' withdrawal from Syria's north had been nearly completed, and only some minor presence was still possible. The minister also stressed that the resumption of Turkey's offensive against the Kurdish militants was out of the question.