Eight civilians killed, several wounded in Sari Kani explosion: monitor

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - At least eight civilians were killed and scores more injured on Sunday in an explosion in the northern Syrian of Sari Kani (Ras-al Ain), currently under the control of Turkey-backed fighters.

State-run Syrian outlet SANA and the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said the blast was caused by a motorcycle rigged with explosives that had been parked nearby a vegetable market.

They reported women and children among the dead.

The number of the injured is unclear, but SANA reported that many have "sustained serious injuries".

The explosion comes just days after another blast is said to have rocked the border town, killing four civilians.

Sari Kani has been controlled by Turkish-backed factions since October of last year following Operation Peace Spring, a military offensive launched by Ankara to clear the area of the multi-ethnic Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), who control much of northeast Syria.

The town now lies in a ‘buffer zone’ under the control of Turkish-backed militias, stretching from Sari Kani to the town of Gire Spi (Tel Abyad).

No group has claimed responsibility for the blast.

Ankara usually blames explosions in regions they hold in northeast Syria on  Kurdish fighters linked to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), while the Kurdish authorities in Rojava blame them on infighting between Syrian opposition groups, including Turkish-backed fighters.

The US Department of State warned last month that “continuous violence” is an impediment to conflict resolution in the country.