Death toll from Syria car bomb rises to over 100
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 16 April 2017 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Death toll from Syria car bomb rises to over 100, 16 April 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/59818d2211.html [accessed 5 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
April 16, 2017 08:50 GMT
The death toll is still expected to rise from the April 15 attack.
The death toll from a car-bomb attack on buses carrying Syrians evacuated from two government-held towns has risen to at least 112, according to a monitoring group.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that 98 evacuees from two northern towns were killed when an explosives-laden vehicle hit their buses at a transit point west of Aleppo on April 15.
The remainder of the dead were aid workers and rebels tasked with guarding the buses, the Britain-based group said.
The group said the number of dead was expected to rise.
On April 15, Syrian state media reported that the blast had killed at least 39 people, while the observatory put the death toll at more than 43, and predicted it would rise further.
The Syrian Civil Defense organization, known widely as the White Helmets, said their volunteers had counted 100 bodies, which included children, women, and rebel fighters.
The buses were carrying thousands of Shi'a who support the government of President Bashar al-Assad.
The evacuees were being transported to Aleppo from villages along the front lines of fighting between government forces and rebel groups.
Syria's population is mostly Sunni. However, Assad and most of his supporters are of the Alawite religious minority, often considered an offshoot of Shi'ite Islam.
Based on reporting by AFP and Reuters
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
