Car Bomb Kills 20 in Northern Syria, Deadliest Attack Since Assad’s Ouster

A car bomb explosion in the northern Syrian city of Manbij on Monday resulted in at least 20 fatalities, marking the deadliest attack since the ousting of President Bashar al-Assad in December. The Syrian presidency condemned the attack, vowing severe punishment for the perpetrators. No group has claimed responsibility for the bombing. Manbij, located near the Turkish border, has frequently changed control during Syria’s 13-year civil war and was recently captured by Turkish-backed groups from the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). Earlier, in 2016, the SDF had liberated the city from Islamic State militants. A previous car bomb on Saturday in the same city killed four civilians.