Over 30 Slain in Central Syria Car Bombing

Civilians, Pro-Regime Militia Fighters Among the Slain

Over 30 people have been killed in a suicide car bombing attack in the central town of Salmiyeh, in Syria’s Hama Province. Rebel spokesman initially claimed everyone killed was a “pro-regime” faction member, and it was the headquarters of one such faction that was bombed.

Locals disputed the account, however, saying that while members of the faction were among the slain there were also civilian deaths in the attack. Dozens of people were also wounded, many gravely, so the final toll could be much higher.

So far there have been no claims of responsible from any specific rebel group on the attack, but the al-Nusra Front has regularly used suicide car bombings in the past and is the most likely culprit.

Suicide car bombings have become a regular part of the ongoing civil war, and death tolls in such bombings have gotten larger in recent months, as the attacks have targeted more crowded areas.

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.