Two car bombs in northern Syria leave at least 11 dead
Two car bombs exploded yesterday in northern Syria. The detonations took place in the towns of Azaz and Al Bab in Aleppo province, about 60 kilometres from the Turkish border. Both areas are controlled by the Turkish army and its allied militias.
The attacks killed at least 11 people, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (OSDH). The first attack took place in Azaz and killed six civilians, including a child. The blast took place near the city's cultural centre and injured around 30 people, according to the authorities.
Two hours later, a second car bomb exploded 50 km from Azaz, in the town of Al Bab. This second attack was a suicide bombing against a checkpoint of the Turkish-affiliated mercenary group al-Hamzat. The blast killed six militia members and wounded four others, according to Syrian Civil Defence sources.
These attacks come a day after another attack with the same modus operandi in the Syrian town of Afrin, also under Turkish control, which left a total of five dead and 14 wounded.
Turkey points to the Kurdish militia of the People's Protection Units, known as YPG, as the perpetrators of the attacks. This organisation is part of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), one of Ankara's direct rivals.
In addition, at least one civilian was reportedly killed and three others wounded in the northeastern town of Hasaka, according to the official Syrian news agency SANA. The clash reportedly occurred during a series of pro-government protests against the SDF, the Kurdish-Arab militia that controls the area.
Video footage of the demonstration in Hasaka, reported by SANA news agency, shows dozens of protesters gathered in a street chanting "with our souls, our blood, we sacrifice ourselves for you, Bashar", a reference to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Qamishli, a town on the border with Turkey, also reportedly hosted rallies against the Syrian Democratic Forces. According to the official Syrian news agency, the rallies were reportedly triggered by the SDF siege in both enclaves.
Turkey has carried out several offensives against the YPG along the northern border because of its ties to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) with a presence in Turkey. The YPG are, in turn, the backbone of the SDF, with the organisation being one of the key players in the fight against Daesh in Syria. However, Ankara labels the group as terrorist.
For its part, Turkey and its FSA allies control much of northern Syria and act against the government of Bashar al-Assad, as well as Kurdish militias. Erdogan's plans involve a third way, independent of Washington and Moscow.
The Kurds - Syria's largest ethnic minority - have controlled a semi-autonomous enclave in the north of the country since the start of the war in 2011. The US-led coalition still maintains troops in the country, and is a source of tension with the al-Assad government.
Under Obama and especially with Trump in office, the US has sought to disengage from the country. The US has tolerated the Al-Assad government, focusing its activity on taking out Da'esh.
Ferhat Abdi Şahin, leader of the YPG, has acknowledged that the organisation will prepare a joint programme with the Biden administration. Şahin admitted that the Democrat gives him "more hope for a realistic solution to the Syrian crisis". He also noted that they will maintain relations with Russia.
Recently, the Biden administration announced that Brett McGurk would be the coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa. McGurk led the fight against the Islamic State in cooperation with the Kurds, so it is foreseeable that Washington will reappear under Biden with renewed objectives.