Car blast hits rebel-held north Syria

The explosion in Azaz near the Turkish border was the largest in months

People gather at the site of a car bomb blast in Azaz, Syria June 2, 2019. REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi
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A car bomb exploded in a north Syrian town held by rebels supported by Turkey on Sunday, killing at least 10 people.

And a war monitor reported blasts hitting other insurgent-held areas in the north-west.

The blast was the largest in months in Azaz, near the Turkish border. It struck a marketplace that was busy late in the evening after the Ramadan fast had finished.

The Syrian rebels backed by Ankara control a strip of territory along the frontier between the countries.

It adjoins the enclave in north-west Syria that is the only major territory still held by groups fighting Syrian President Bashar Al Assad and has been the target of a government offensive since late April.

That enclave was also hit by a series of blasts on Sunday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

Backed by Russian air power and Iran-backed militia groups, Mr Assad has regained control over most of Syria.

The rebels’ north-west enclave is dominated by the extremist Hayat Tahrir Al Sham group, which was formerly Jabhat Al Nusra, an Al Qaeda affiliate.

ISIS militants have carried out attacks across northern Syria in areas held by insurgents and by Kurdish-led forces.