A suicide bomber attacked Turkish-backed rebels near the Syrian town of Al-Bab on Friday, killing at least 51 people just hours after they celebrated capturing the town from the Islamic State group. The blast occurred in the village of Susian, about five miles northeast of Al-Bab, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
The bomber detonated a vehicle packed with explosives outside a rebel command centre, devastating the twin command posts and seriously wounding many fighters. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility, stating in an online statement that its suicide bomber 'drove his car bomb into the middle of a gathering of Turkish soldiers and apostates working in Susian'.
Al-Bab, located just 15 miles south of the Turkish border, was the jihadists' last stronghold in the northern Syrian province of Aleppo. Turkey launched an operation in Syria last August targeting both ISIS and US-backed Kurdish fighters. The battle for Al-Bab has been the bloodiest of Ankara's campaign, accounting for most of the 69 Turkish losses so far.
Turkish Defence Minister Fikri Isik said on Thursday that its rebel allies had 'near complete control' of the town. However, the attack underscores the ongoing threat from ISIS, which is being attacked on multiple fronts across Syria and Iraq. The Syrian government is also targeting anti-ISIS rebel groups in its efforts to regain control.
