The aftermath of the deadly explosion to the south of Ras al-Ain. Click to see full-size image. Via Twitter.
On May 29, three men were killed when an explosion tore apart their vehicle, a Hyundai Santa Fe SUV, in the area of al-Alia to the south of the Turkish-occupied town of Ras al-Ain in the northern countryside of Syria’s al-Hasakah.
The two of the men killed in the explosion were identified as Ahmed al-Abed al-Hamza, also known as “Abu Ammar al-Hushu,” a commander of the Turkish-backed Mu’tasim Division, and Abu al-Nour al-Jawani, also known as “Abu al-Nour Markadah”. The third man was allegedly the father of al-Hamza.
While some Syrian opposition sources claimed that the vehicle was targeted by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) with an explosive device or a guided anti-tank, others said that the vehicle was the target of a Russian or a US-led coalition drone strike.
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, one of the three men killed in the explosion was former commander of ISIS. The London-based monitoring group didn’t identify the person in question.
In the last few years, a series of US-led coalition drone strike targeted commanders and senior members of ISIS in Turkish-occupied areas in northern and northeastern Syria. In fact, one of the coalition’s most recent drone strikes, which took place on October 25, targeted Ras al-Ain.
The strike killed Sabahi Ibrahim al-Muslih, also known as “Abu Hamzah al- Shheell,” a cochairman of ISIS Shura Council. Al-Muslih was reportedly living at the headquarters of the Turkish-backed 20th Division in the town. The UK has claimed responsibility for the strike.
It’s worth noting that the deadly explosion came amid reports of a near operation by the Turkish military and its proxies against the SDF in northern and northeastern Syria.
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