A bombing attack tore through a high-profile wedding in the Kurdish-dominated city of Hasakeh, in northeastern Syria today, killing at least 22 people, and wounding as many as 90 others. Among the slain were the groom, as well as a high-ranking member of the Kurdish PYD party.
There was no claim of responsibility for the incident so far, and Kurdish officials say it is unclear if the attack was the result of a suicide bomber, or if it was an explosive device planted in advance at the site. Some rumors were that a woman suicide bomber was involved, but this is unconfirmed.
ISIS, the most likely culprit, did claim a separate suicide bombing attack in the same city, but they claimed to have attacked a group of YPG fighters, and to have fired machine guns before the bombing. Kurdish officials didn’t confirm this incident, but it’s clearly not what happened at the wedding.
The Kurdish YPG controls almost the entire Hasakeh Province, including the bulk of the capital city. ISIS has had an intermittent presence on the outskirts, and the Syrian government had its own forces in Hasakeh itself, though they fought with the YPG recently and lost much of their territory.
“ISIS, the most likely culprit”
No, once Turkey invaded Syria, Erdogan became the most likely culprit.
Not likely. Who always insisted that Kurds must fight with US to oust ISIS from Raqqa. To that end US let Kurds take government controlled Hasekah. And now to let Turkey to spoil the plan? Just kick the Kurds again — as ghey were once hit in Kobani — and they will come out fighting ISIS. And we will tell Turkey that this is beyond our control. Etc.
Which country has a history of drone attacks on wedding parties? Which country recently betrayed a one time ally, and is allowing NATO ally Turkey to attack them without censure? The mere fact that no one is taking responsibility when that is a necessary part of creating terror suggests the true culprit.
What a mess. I would not call Hasakeh Kurdish. It has become a transparent propaganda that Kurds live as a majority everywhere on maps showing Kurdish areas. In fact only three areas — not contiguous are Kurdish majority. Haskeh was goverment controled and it is not majority Kurdish. Kurds helped ISIS as the presence of governent troups between Raqqa and Iraqi border was a problem. Now, it seems to me that US has the strongest motivation to force Kurds to fight ISIS and to shut Turkey up. Yet — will Turkey allow the charade and soap opera mamma-drama to be an excuse for US to install Kurds there? But US did bomb two bridges accross Euphrates, telling Turkey that Kurds willl not go back to the other side of the river. This does not look good. Too many very angry participants — too much incendiary moves on the part of US. When it all blows up in Iraq — with Turkish forces determined to join Iraqi goverment and Barzani Peshmerga Kurds against US and Iraqi PKK Kurds. But in Syria the remaining areas of problem is Raqqa area as well as Aleppo and adjoining Homs. However only Al-Nusra seems to want to go the distance. Others like FSA are angling to join Turkey and thry do not want American soecial ops around them. These are now allies turned enemies. At present US has no allies left in Syria — and the Kurds may rethink their interests. What an utter mess. We will soon find out where Saudi Arabia stands. Turkey has given EU an ultimatum to give them visa free travel for Turkish citizens, or the charade of EU process is over. More mess. And more refugees. And more mess.
Actually, based on the evidence of the last 15 years, if a wedding has been bombed, then the USAF must surely be on any initial lists of ‘likely culprits’. If a wedding has been bombed, then at the very least one should ask for the Americans to account for where their planes were at the time.