Explosion in Rebel-Controlled Area of Syria Leaves Dozens Dead

An explosion in northern Syria has left at least 39 dead, with reports indicating that 21 of the victims were women and children. The cause of the explosion is still unclear, but some reports suggest it occurred at an ammunition storage site. Activists known as 'Civil Defense' present in rebel-controlled areas have stated they were the first group to arrive at the explosion site to assist the injured and affected. According to them, the explosion took place in the residential area of Sarmada, Idlib province, near the Turkish border. A reporter from Agence France-Presse also noted that the cause of the explosion is unknown and that it led to the collapse of two buildings. Rescue workers were using bulldozers to try to retrieve the injured. The Associated Press, citing a media outlet close to the opponents of Bashar al-Assad, reported that the dead included both civilians and a number of members of the 'Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham' group, which is considered an al-Qaeda affiliate in Syria. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights stated that the main site of the explosion was an ammunition depot located in the basement of one of the buildings. According to this organization, based in London, the depot was under the control of a weapons trafficker close to Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham. However, Rami Abdulrahman, the head of this organization, told Agence France-Presse that the cause of the explosion is still unknown. Most areas of Idlib province are controlled by Syrian rebels. Many of them have moved to this province following advances by Assad's forces and their allies in other regions of the country. The al-Qaeda affiliate, other rebel groups, and even parts of the group known as the Islamic State are present in the towns and villages of Idlib. Agence France-Presse reported that several explosions and assassination attempts have occurred in recent months, primarily targeting leaders of rebel groups or fighters opposing the regime. ISIS has claimed responsibility for some of these attacks, while others stem from rivalries among rebel groups and their attacks on each other. The Syrian government has also stated that its next target is Idlib province. A pro-Damascus newspaper reported on Sunday that a large group of army forces has taken positions around Idlib and is ready to launch a 'large-scale attack.' Last spring, Stefan de Mistura, the UN special envoy for Syria, warned that the world must act 'to prevent a new humanitarian disaster, this time in Idlib.' Mark Lowcock, the UN's Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, also stated that ongoing airstrikes, internal conflicts among armed groups, excessive population growth, and severe damage to basic services have put Idlib in a precarious situation. The Syrian civil war, which began in late 2010 following the suppression of largely peaceful protests against Bashar al-Assad's government, has left hundreds of thousands dead and displaced more than half of the country's population.