Suicide Attack by Islamic State Group; 38 Civilians Killed

Following suicide attacks by the Islamic State group (ISIS) on a refugee camp in northeastern Syria, at least 38 people were killed and more than 30 others were injured. According to the French news agency AFP, citing the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the suicide attack was carried out by 5 members of the Islamic State group with the detonation of suicide belts both inside and outside the camp. 300 families were housed in this camp, waiting to enter areas controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces. These forces, which include Kurdish and Arab militants, are attacking the city of Raqqa, the self-proclaimed capital of the Islamic State, with the support of American forces. This camp is located in the Hasakah province of Syria, near the Iraqi border. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the suicide attacks occurred while the Islamic State group and the Syrian Democratic Forces were engaged in combat near the camp. In this context, a Red Crescent official from the Kurdish forces told AFP that the attack took place at 4 AM local time. According to Reuters, Nasser Haj Mansour, an advisor to the Syrian Democratic Forces, stated that some of the victims of this suicide attack had fled from the Deir ez-Zor region of Iraq to this camp. AFP also reported that the Islamic State group killed 10 soldiers in an attack on an Iraqi army base near the border with Syria and Jordan. The Islamic State group had previously attacked this base with mortars and rockets. These attacks have occurred at a time when the Islamic State group has lost a significant portion of its territory in Iraq and Syria in recent months. Meanwhile, the Syrian Democratic Forces announced that they are continuing efforts to fully control the strategic city of Tabqa, located 40 kilometers west of Raqqa.