2016 Atmeh attack
Part of the Syrian Civil War
LocationAtmeh, Syria
Date15 August 2016
TargetFree Syrian Army
Attack type
Bomb attack
WeaponsSuicide attack
Deaths50[1]
Injured50
PerpetratorIslamic State of Iraq and the Levant
MotiveTerror
Civil uprising in Syria (March–August 2011)
Start of insurgency (Sept. 2011 – April 2012)
UN ceasefire; Rebel advances (May 2012 – Dec. 2013)
Rise of the Islamic State (Jan. – Sept. 2014)
U.S.-led intervention, Rebel & ISIL advances (Sept. 2014 – Sept. 2015)
Russian intervention (Sept. 2015 – March 2016)
Aleppo escalation and Euphrates Shield (March 2016 – February 2017)
Collapse of the Islamic State in Syria (Feb. – Nov. 2017)
Rebels in retreat and Operation Olive Branch
(Nov. 2017 – Sep. 2018)
Idlib demilitarization
(Sep. 2018 – April 2019)
Idlib ceasefire (March 2020 – present)
Foreign intervention on behalf of Syrian Arab Republic

Foreign intervention in behalf of Syrian rebels

U.S.-led intervention against ISIL

On 15 August 2016, a suicide bombing that targeted a packed Syrian rebel junction at the Atmeh border crossing, killed 50 Syrian rebels, several civilians, and reports of 2[1] wounded Turkish soldiers.[2] The attack was claimed by Islamic State, that stated it targeted Syrian rebel fighters from Faylaq al-Sham and Harakat Nour al-Din al-Zenki.[3] Around 32 dead fighters were from the Nour al-Din al-Zenki group.[4]

Attack

A bus transporting rebel fighters was completely destroyed in the targeted blast, causing 40 deaths and 50 injuries. The Free Syrian Army rebel factions were preparing a mobilization from the Turkish border towards the Aleppo Front to either battle the Syrian Army or Islamic State.[5]

References

  1. ^ a b "IS claims deaths of 50 US-backed rebels in Syria suicide attack". Retrieved 16 August 2016.
  2. ^ "Syria conflict: Bus blast kills rebels near Turkey border - BBC News". BBC News. 15 August 2016. Retrieved 16 August 2016.
  3. ^ Charkatli, Izat (14 August 2016). "Suicide bombing kills dozens of jihadists". Archived from the original on 9 June 2019. Retrieved 16 August 2016.
  4. ^ "Isis owns up to suicide attack on rival rebels". Archived from the original on 5 February 2017. Retrieved 16 August 2016.
  5. ^ "Islamic State says bus blast killed 50 fighters at Syria-Turkey crossing". Reuters. 15 August 2016. Retrieved 16 August 2016.
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