Syria: An explosion in Azaz results in casualties, Jan. 31

Event

A suspected car bomb detonated in Azaz Jan. 31. The blast killed at least two people and injured 13 others. The incident follows a day after a car bombing in Afrin which left five people dead and 20 others injured. There have been no claims of responsibility for either attack. The Turkish government has blamed the Syrian People's Protection Units (YPG) for the Afrin attack.

Azaz and Afrin are located in the Aleppo Governorate, north of Aleppo city.

Context

Turkey has attributed various past attacks in the region to the YPG, including an April 28, 2020 truck bombing in a market in Afrin that killed over 50 people. Ankara views the YPG as a militant group linked to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) based in Turkey. A number of car bombings have occurred in areas along the Turkish-Syrian border since Turkey launched a military offensive into northeastern Syria in October 2019. The Islamic State (IS) has also claimed responsibility for some attacks. Turkey's military presence in northern Syria will likely lead to further attacks in the future.