Terror attack kills 9 in Afrin, northwestern Syria

AFRIN, Syria

At least nine people were killed and 43 injured in a terror blast in northwestern Syria on Monday, according to the governor's office of Turkey’s southern Hatay province.

An explosives-laden small truck went off in the opposition-held city of Afrin, Anadolu Agency earlier learned from sources on the ground.

Investigation of the attack and identifying the people involved continue, said a governor’s office statement.

Afrin was largely cleared of YPG/PKK terrorists by Turkey in 2018 through its anti-terror offensive, Operation Olive Branch.

YPG/PKK terrorists continue to carry out attacks but do not claim responsibility as they end up harming civilians, according to local security sources.

The YPG/PKK terror group, which continues to attack from Syria's Tal Rifaat and Manbij regions, often targets Jarabulus, Azaz and Afrin.

In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the US and the European Union -- has been responsible for the deaths of nearly 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants. The YPG is the PKK’s Syrian branch.

Since 2016, Turkey has launched a trio of successful anti-terror operations across its border in northern Syria to prevent the formation of a terror corridor and to enable the peaceful settlement of residents: Euphrates Shield (2016), Olive Branch (2018), and Peace Spring (2019).