Syria's White Helmet civil defence organisation were seen inspecting the site of a car bomb explosion in the city of Manbij. (AP: Syrian Civil Defence White Helmets)
In short:
At least 19 people have been killed after a car bomb exploded on the outskirts of Manbij, in northern Syria.
Among the victims were 18 women and one man and they were mostly agricultural workers.
The incident marks the seventh car bomb explosion in Manbij in just over a month, according to deputy director of Syria's civil defence Munir Mustafa.
A car bomb that exploded on the outskirts of a northern Syrian city has killed at least 19 people and left more than a dozen wounded, according to local hospital workers.
The car detonated next to another vehicle carrying mostly female agricultural workers on the outskirts of the city of Manbij on Monday.
Those who died included 18 women and one man, a nurse at the hospital Mohammad Ahmad, told The Associated Press.
Another 15 women were wounded, some of them in critical condition, according to the local Syrian civil defence.
No group immediately claimed responsibility for the explosion.
It was the seventh car bomb explosion in Manbij in just over a month, said Munir Mustafa, the deputy director of civil defence.
Manbij, in the north-eastern Aleppo province, continues to witness violence even after the downfall of President Bashar Assad in December.
Turkish-backed factions, known as the Syrian National Army, have clashed with the US-backed Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces.
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Photo shows People wave the flag of the Syrian rebels.
The factions took the city from the SDF in early December during a lightning insurgency that toppled President Bashar al-Assad.
A resident said the car that detonated was parked on the roadside. The recurring attacks have forced residents to become more vigilant, he said.
"There are efforts from the people of Manbij to focus on protecting some neighbourhoods as well as setting up surveillance cameras in the main neighbourhoods of the city," Jameel al-Sayyed, a Manbij activist and journalist said.
Mr Mustafa warned that the attacks in Aleppo province near Syria's second city are a threat to Syria's progress to bring about post-war security and economic recovery. Most of the explosions took place at night.
"The continued attacks on Syrian civilian areas and targeting civilians while they are trying to recover from the effects of the war of the defunct Assad regime … threaten their lives, deepens their humanitarian tragedy, undermines educational and agricultural activities and livelihoods, and worsens the humanitarian situation in Syria," Mr Mustafa said.
A car bombing in Manbij on Saturday killed four civilians and wounded nine, state news agency SANA reported, citing civil defence officials.
AP
