The United States on Wednesday said it was troubled by a recent rise in attacks in Syria, a day after a blast in the northwest town of al-Bab killed at least 18 people.
“The United States strongly condemns the terrorist attack near a crowded traffic circle in al-Bab yesterday,” US State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said in a statement, adding that other reports indicated more than 20 people were killed.
“We are deeply troubled by the rise in such terrorist attacks in recent months.”
An explosives-laden truck ignited Tuesday on a busy street in al-Bab, which is controlled by Turkey-backed opposition fighters, killing at least 18 people and wounding dozens, Syrian opposition activists reported.
The blast took place near a bus station where people often gather to travel from one region to another, according to the opposition's Civil Defense, also known as White Helmets.
The explosion caused widespread damage to buildings in the area and set vehicles on fire in the town located in Aleppo province, activists said. The victims included a number of women and children.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, reported that 18 people were killed and 75 others were wounded in the attack. It added that some of the wounded were in critical condition and the death toll could rise.
