44 killed in massive IS bomb attack in Syria

27th, July 2016

Qamishli: A massive bomb blast claimed by the IS group killed at least 44 people and wounded dozens on Wednesday in the Kurdish-majority Syrian city of Qamishli.

It was the largest and deadliest attack to hit the city since the beginning of Syria’s conflict in March 2011.

Syrian state media gave a toll of 44 dead and 140 injured in the bombing, which hit a western district of the city where several local Kurdish ministries are located.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor gave a toll of 48 dead, adding that children and women were among those killed.

Kurdish officials said the attack was carried out by a suicide bomber driving an explosives-laden truck, adding that the blast detonated a nearby fuel container.

A journalist saw devastating scenes in the bomb’s aftermath, with distraught civilians, some covered in blood, staggering through rubble past twisted metal and the burned-out remains of cars.

One man running along the streets was completely covered in blood, his shirt drenched red.

They ran past a hysterical woman who was crying and screaming, her clothes torn. A girl and boy stood next to her, apparently in shock.

Children could be heard screaming as smoke rose from small fires that continued to burn amongst the rubble.