Syrian al-Qaeda Planning Car Bombings in Turkey

10 Cars Filled With Bombs Smuggled From Syria

Turkey’s military police issued a secret report earlier this month that Syrian al-Qaeda fighters have smuggled 10 cars full of explosives with fake identifying plates into Turkey, apparently in an attempt to blackmail Turkey into recognizing them as a “legitimate” part of Syria’s rebellion.

Turkey has provided aid to some al-Qaeda linked factions and is openly backing the rebellion, but has declined to endorse the al-Qaeda fighters publicly.

Car bombs in Turkey have so far mostly targeted border crossings, with an effort by Syrian rebel factions to target the crossings held by rival factions, which are transit points for Turkish aid.

The report comes less than a week after a similar report of four “rigged cars” smuggled into Lebanon by al-Qaeda in Syria, in that case with an eye on attacking Shi’ite neighborhoods. In both cases the cars remain apparently at large, with the timing and target of the attacks unknown.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.