BEIRUT, Lebanon — A car bombing in northern Syria on Tuesday killed at least two people and injured two others, according to local reports. The blast occurred in the center of Manbij, a city that has seen renewed conflict in recent weeks.
The attack was attributed to the Syrian branch of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), known as the YPG, according to sources cited by Turkey’s Daily Sabah newspaper.
Manbij had been under PKK/YPG control until Dec. 9, when the Syrian National Army (SNA), a Turkish-backed opposition group, took over the city. SNA sources claimed that Tuesday’s bombing was part of a broader campaign by PKK/YPG elements to destabilize the area following the group’s territorial losses.
Rising violence near Manbij
Since Dec. 20, PKK/YPG militants have escalated attacks near the Tishrin Dam on Manbij’s southeastern outskirts. Armed with heavy weaponry, including Grad rockets, the militants have also been conducting surprise raids using underground tunnels beneath the city, according to SNA sources.
Manbij has long been a flashpoint in the Syrian conflict, with various factions vying for control. The recent violence underscores the ongoing volatility in the region, even as the Assad government’s presence has diminished.
