ReliefWeb

On September 14, 2020 at least ten people were killed in an explosion caused by a car bomb in the Kurdish enclave of Afrin, a city in the Aleppo region of Syria.

More than 30 people were injured in the blast, including several children.

The explosion occurred in a busy marketplace within walking distance of the headquarters of a Turkish-backed armed group. While no group has claimed responsibility, the attack is believed to be related to the presence of Turkish factions in the north of Syria.

One of the civilians killed was a member of the Turkish Red Cross. The Turkish International Federation of Red Cross tweeted to pay respects to their lost member and condemn the incident.

The Explosive Violence Monitor 2019 reports that Syria was the nation most impacted by explosive violence in 2019 as well as the most dangerous place to be a civilian. Of all deaths and injuries caused by explosive violence in Syria in 2019, 83% were suffered by civilians.

Aleppo was the second most impacted region in Syria in 2019 with 1,259 civilian casualties, accounting for 17% of all civilian casualties across the nation. However, there was a 24% decrease in civilian casualties in Syria in the past year, from 9,588 in 2018 to 7,256 in 2019.

Action on Armed Violence (AOAV) records casualties (i.e. people killed and injured) from explosive violence around the world as reported in English-language news sources.

AOAV condemns the use of explosive weapons in populated areas and calls on states and the international community to urgently address the threat of explosive weapons attacks that directly impact civilians.