Suicide attack in Rojava leaves five Kurdish fighters dead

HASAKA, Syrian Kurdistan (Kurdistan24) – On Saturday, at least five Syrian Kurdish internal security forces (Asayish) lost their lives in a suicide bombing when two car bombs exploded in Syrian Kurdistan (Rojava).

A Kurdistan24 correspondent in Hasaka reported that the explosions occurred near a checkpoint between Hasaka province and the Turkish border close to the Kurdish-Christian majority town of Tal Tamer.

According to the Kurdistan24 reporter in Tal Tamer, one of the car bombs targeted an Asayish training center near the checkpoint where two security lost their lives. The third one was targeted at the checkpoint and lost his life immediately.

Security sources in Tal Tamer told Kurdistan24 that Islamic State (IS) insurgents are responsible for the attack because the targeted checkpoint is on the border between IS-controlled areas and Kurdish-held territories.

The checkpoint and the training center are located in the village of Aliya that lies about seven kilometers from Tal Tamer on the highway to Aleppo city. Aliya contains a series of grain silos constructed by Syrian government about 15 years ago.

The Kurdish forces (Asayish and YPG) liberated Aliya from IS last year. 

Regarding the number of casualties, Syria-based Kurdish Hawar News Agency (ANHA) and Syrian state TV reported the same death toll (five), with no reports of injury.

Tal Tamer, the multi-ethnic town, has already witnessed a series of explosions in the past two years. The last one occurred on Dec. 10, 2015, when three simultaneous car bomb attacks killed at least 25 people and wounded 50 others.

The town was recognized internationally in February 2015 when IS kidnapped at least 350 Assyrian-Christians.

Dozens, mostly elderly women, have since been released, but a majority remain in the hands of the extremist group. Many others have been released in several batches since December. 

Reporting by Hisham Arafat 

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany