Turkish police disarm bomb found in former Syrian rebel commander’s car

HATAY – Doğan News Agency

The authorities in the southern Turkish province of Hatay have defused two bombs that were found under a Syrian car, which appeared to be owned by a former Free Syrian Army (FSA) commander.

Police teams patrolling a street in the Reyhanlı district of Hatay, which lies on Turkey’s border with Syria, saw two suspicious packages under a car with a Syrian license plate that was parked on the side of the road.

After sealing off the street and increasing security measures in the region, the bomb-dismantling teams disarmed two bombs held together with the use of magnetic parts.

Hatay Governor Ercan Topaca said the owner of the car is a former High Defense Council member of FSA, who entered Turkey around three months ago.

“He is a former FSA commander who recently settled in Turkey after leaving the unit he headed due to internal balances in Syria,” Topaca told reporters.

“Our investigation into the incident is continuing, but we think it is highly likely that this was caused by a disagreement within the FSA or an internal feud,” the governor stated.

Topaca stressed that the police are investigating the issue in detail and he vowed to share the results with the public soon.