Syria: Two explosions in Aleppo Governorate result in casualties Jan. 31 /update 1

Event

Two explosions occurred in Aleppo Governorate Jan. 31. The most recent incident occurred at a checkpoint near Al Bab, killing five Turkish-backed Syrian forces. Earlier, a car bomb in Azaz had killed six civilians and wounded 22 others. There have been no claims of responsibility for the attacks. The incidents follow a car bombing in Afrin the previous day that left eight people dead and 20 others injured. The Turkish government has blamed the Syrian People's Protection Units (YPG) for the Afrin blast.

Al Bab and Azaz are located in Aleppo Governorate, around 38 km (24 miles) northeast and 45 km (28 miles) north of Aleppo city respectively.

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.