Bomb blast in Syria's Afrin kills 7 civilians, four FSA members

AFRIN - Reuters

A bomb blast in a four-storey building in the town of Afrin in northwest Syria killed seven civilians and four Free Syrian Army (FSA) members overnight, state-run Anadolu news agency reported on March 19.

The explosion hit after the FSA forces swept into the town with Turkish forces on March 18, declaring full control after an eight-week campaign to drive out the People’s Protection Units (YPG) militants.

The bomb, which was described as planted by militants, exploded as the FSA forces conducted a search. It ripped out a hole four metres  deep and badly damaged other buildings and vehicles.

A spokesman for the FSA forces said on March 18 they had entered Afrin before dawn, meeting no resistance. A war monitor, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said some YPG militants defied orders to withdraw, but Turkish forces were in control.