Suicide bomber hits evacuees in Aleppo

[Hand]

A suicide car bomber has killed and injured at least 100 people and fractured a complex deal to evacuate four besieged towns in Syria, leaving thousands of people trapped in limbo.

The bomber targeted buses full of evacuees from government-held towns as they waited in a rebel-held area on the outskirts of Aleppo. He drove his explosives up to their vehicles in a van meant to carry aid supplies.

The Syrian Civil Defence in Aleppo province, also known as the White Helmets, said their volunteers pulled at least 100 bodies from the site of the explosion. White Helmets member Ibrahim Alhaj said the dead included many children and women.


Qatari royal family members used as leverage in Syrian population swap
Read more
Syrian state media said at least 39 were killed, including children. The opposition Syrian Observatory for Human Rights put the death toll at 43, adding that it would likely rise because of the extensive damage.

Images from the scene showed bodies on the ground around blackened vehicles, as thick smoke rose into the air. A senior rebel official said about 20 fighters guarding the buses had been killed, along with people inside.

Residents of rebel-held towns waiting in buses in government territory said they were terrified they could face reprisal attacks.

They appealed to international organisations including the UN for security guarantees, asking them to “provide the necessary protection to reach our final destinations”.

Continued...