At least 24 people, including 16 civilians, were killed and more than 25 others were injured after two bomb-laden vehicles exploded on a busy street in Syria's northwestern Idlib city center during rush hour, reports said Monday.

Both explosions reportedly took place on Al-Qusoor Street, reports said. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the blasts killed 24 people. The Edlib Media Center, an activist collective, said the bombings killed 10 and wounded dozens.

Sixteen civilians, including four children, are among those killed, while the identities of four others remain unclear, said Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Social media footage showed aid workers carrying away bodies and rescuing wounded civilians amid smoldering wreckage.

The first blast occurred in the early afternoon and another followed seconds later. While the first explosion did not cause major harm, the second one caused the death of a large number of people as well as other heavy damages. No group has claimed responsibility for the bombing as yet.

The opposition's Syrian Civil Defense, a group of volunteer first responders, said one of its members was wounded.

The Syrian Civil Defense group, which arrived at the scene of the incident as response units, noted that the second explosion resulted in numerous casualties as it took place near an area with many civilians.

The province of Idlib, which occupies most of the remaining area controlled by groups fighting against the Syrian regime, is largely controlled by al-Qaida-linked Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which has wide influence in northern Syria. The region falls within the de-escalation zone agreed as part of the Sochi Agreement reached on Sept. 17 by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.

According to the Sochi agreement, a cease-fire in the Idlib region will be preserved, with the withdrawal of heavy arms and radicals from the region. Prior to the agreement, the Assad regime was signaling a grand operation toward Idlib, sparking deep fears in the international community of a new humanitarian crisis.

The city has been hit with bombings in recent months that killed or wounded scores of people.

Alliance commanders say they hundreds of people have been rounded up for suspected links to Bashar al Assad's intelligence services or Daesh sleeper cells who they blame for some of the bombings.

They say the wave of blasts in the densely populated region, a haven for tens of thousands of civilians opposed to Assad's rule, aims to destabilize the last opposition bastion remaining after almost eight years of civil war.

Idlib, which borders Turkey, has also seen an escalation in artillery fire from the Syrian army and allied Iranian-backed militias on rebel-held towns, witnesses said.

Damascus has vowed to retake every last inch of Syria to cap a string of military gains in the last two years that have recovered almost all rebel-controlled regions with the key assistance of Russian air power. Russia is keen to help Assad regain the entire country, including eventually Idlib, but Tukey, which wants the Syrian leader to leave power, has so far successfully pushed back.

Last week President Vladimir Putin said Russia, Turkey and Iran had agreed to take unspecified extra steps to clear Idlib of what he called "a hotbed of terrorists," but the Kremlin said there would be no military operation there.

Yet the regime and its supporters have violated the agreement. Since the Sochi agreement in September, more than two dozen civilians have lost their lives in attacks by the regime with many injured.

Speaking on the issue last week, Erdoğan said that it is important to make a distinction between the moderate opposition and terrorist organizations within the province, emphasizing the delicacy of the situation. "Our intelligence agency is also working on the issue," Erdoğan said, adding that the Turkish military observation points in the region also have a key duty. "They will not give any chance to the terrorist organizations [to manipulate the situation in the region]," he said.</s>A double bomb attack in Syria’s extremist-held city of Idlib on Monday killed 24 people, including four children, a war monitor said.

The first blast was caused by a bomb planted under a car in the main city of the Idlib region, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

After ambulances arrived at the site, a motorcycle bomb then detonated, the Britain-based monitoring group said.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, which the Observatory said also wounded at least 51, updating an earlier casualty toll.

Idlib, the last major part of Syria still outside the control of President Bashar al-Assad’s regime, is held by an alliance led by Syria’s former al-Qaeda affiliate, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham.

HTS took administrative control of the whole of the region last month, after overpowering smaller Turkey-backed factions.

The ISIS extremist group also has sleeper cells in the area.

A local office of the “Salvation Government”, an administrative body created by HTS, is located on the street targeted by Monday’s attack.

ALSO READ: ISIS ‘caliphate’ on brink of defeat in Syria as Trump urges Europe to do more

Idlib has been protected from a massive regime offensive since September by a buffer zone deal agreed by regime ally Russia and rebel backer Turkey.

But it has been hit by sporadic government shelling.

Eight years into the conflict that has killed more than 360,000 people, the government controls nearly two-thirds of the country.</s>A double bomb attack on Monday in Syria's northwestern city of Idlib killed at least 15 people, including four children, a war monitor reported. Dozens of others were wounded.

The first blast was caused by an explosive device planted under a car in Qusour neighbourhood during rush hour, the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

A motorcycle bomb then detonated after ambulances arrived at the scene of the first blast, said the group, which relies on a network of sources based in Syria for its information.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, which the Syrian Observatory said also wounded at least 50 others.

The Local Coordination Committees and the Syrian Civil Defence, a group of first responders, also reported casualties.

The city has been hit by a series of bombings in recent months that have killed or wounded scores of people.

The Observatory and Civil Defence earlier reported government shelling of rebel-held towns south of Idlib, saying several people were wounded.

Idlib, the last major part of Syria still outside the control of President Bashar al-Assad's government, is dominated by an alliance led by Syria's former al-Qaeda affiliate, Hay'et Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).

The group took administrative control of the entire region last month after overpowering smaller Turkey-backed rebel factions.

Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, ISIS) also has sleeper cells in Idlib.

A local office of the "Salvation Government", an administrative body created by HTS, is located on the street targeted in Monday's attack.

Four HTS fighters were killed in the blast, the Syrian Observatory said.

Idlib has been protected from a planned Syrian government ground attack - backed by air power from its Russian ally - since September by a buffer-zone deal agreed among Damascus, Moscow, and Ankara.

Nearly eight years into the devastating war that has killed hundreds of thousands of people, the Syrian government controls nearly two-thirds of the country.</s>The first blast is caused by a bomb planted under a car in the main city of the Idlib region, while a motorcycle bomb detonated after ambulances arrived at the scene of the first explosion

BEIRUT, Lebanon – A double bomb attack in Syria's jihadist-held city of Idlib on Monday, February 18, killed 24 people, including 4 children, a war monitor said.

The first blast was caused by a bomb planted under a car in the main city of the Idlib region, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

A motorcycle bomb detonated after ambulances arrived at the scene of the first explosion, the Britain-based monitoring group said.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, which the Observatory said also wounded at least 51, updating an earlier casualty toll.

Idlib, the last major part of Syria still outside the control of President Bashar al-Assad's regime, is held by an alliance led by Syria's former Al-Qaeda affiliate, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).

HTS took administrative control of the whole of the region last month, after overpowering smaller Turkey-backed factions.

The Islamic State group (ISIS) also has sleeper cells in the area.

A local office of the "Salvation Government," an administrative body created by HTS, is located on the street targeted by Monday's attack.

Four HTS fighters were killed in the blast, the Observatory said, while the other 20 victims were civilians.

Idlib has been protected from a massive regime offensive since September by a buffer zone deal agreed by regime ally Russia and rebel backer Turkey.

But it has been hit by sporadic government shelling.

Eight years into the conflict that has killed more than 360,000 people, the government controls nearly two-thirds of the country. – Rappler.com</s>13 people, including 10 civilians were killed, more than 25 others were injured after two bomb-laden vehicles exploded on a busy street in Syria's northwestern Idlib city center during rush hour, reports said Monday.

Both explosions reportedly took place on Al-Qusoor Street, reports said.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the blasts killed 13 people and wounded 25.

The Edlib Media Center, an activist collective, said the bombings killed 10 and wounded dozens.

The first blast occurred in the early afternoon and another followed seconds later. The opposition's Syrian Civil Defense, a group of volunteer first responders, said one of its members was wounded.

The Syrian Civil Defense group, which arrived at the scene of the incident as response units, noted that the second explosion resulted in numerous casualties as it took place near an area with many civilians.

The city of Idlib is controlled by al-Qaida-linked Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which has wide influence in northern Syria.

The city has been hit with bombings in recent months that killed or wounded scores of people.</s>Help us grow and continue telling Israel’s story to the world.

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Twin explosions in the bustling centre of the rebel-held northwestern Syrian city of Idlib on Monday killed at least 15 people and injured scores, medics and witnesses said.

They said an explosive device planted in a parked car detonated in a main street in the provincial capital. Many of the casualties were civil defence workers who reached the site moments before a second explosion nearby. That blast was attributed by some witnesses to a bomb rigged to a motorcyle.

Idlib province, in Syria's northwest corner, is under the control of Hayat Tahrir al Sham, a bloc of Islamist militant factions spearheaded by Syria's former al Qaeda affiliate, and has long been targeted by bombings and assassinations.

Alliance commanders say they hundreds of people have been rounded up for suspected links to Syrian President Bashar al Assad's intelligence services or Islamic State sleeper cells who they blame for some of the bombings.

They say the wave of blasts in the densely populated region, a haven for tens of thousands of civilians opposed to Assad's rule, aims to destabilise the last opposition bastion remaining after almost eight years of civil war.

Idlib, which borders Turkey, has also seen an escalation in artillery fire from the Syrian army and allied Iranian-backed militias on rebel-held towns, witnesses said.

Damascus has vowed to retake every last inch of Syria to cap a string of military gains in the last two years that have recovered almost all rebel-controlled regions with the key assistance of Russian air power.

Russia is keen to help Assad regain the entire country, including eventually Idlib, but Tukey, which wants the Syrian leader to leave power, has so far successfully pushed back.

Last week President Vladimir Putin said Russia, Turkey and Iran had agreed to take unspecified extra steps to clear Idlib of what he called "a hotbed of terrorists," but the Kremlin said there would be no military operation there.

Join Jerusalem Post Premium Plus now for just $5 and upgrade your experience with an ads-free website and exclusive content. Click here>></s>Twin explosions in the bustling centre of the rebel-held northwestern Syrian city of Idlib on Monday killed at least 15 people and injured scores, medics and witnesses said.

They said an explosive device planted in a parked car detonated in a main street in the provincial capital. Many of the casualties were civil defence workers who reached the site moments before a second explosion nearby. That blast was attributed by some witnesses to a bomb rigged to a motorcyle.

Idlib province, in Syria’s northwest corner, is under the control of Hayat Tahrir al Sham, a bloc of Islamist militant factions spearheaded by Syria’s former al Qaeda affiliate, and has long been targeted by bombings and assassinations.

Alliance commanders say they hundreds of people have been rounded up for suspected links to Syrian President Bashar al Assad’s intelligence services or Islamic State sleeper cells who they blame for some of the bombings.

They say the wave of blasts in the densely populated region, a haven for tens of thousands of civilians opposed to Assad’s rule, aims to destabilise the last opposition bastion remaining after almost eight years of civil war.

Idlib, which borders Turkey, has also seen an escalation in artillery fire from the Syrian army and allied Iranian-backed militias on rebel-held towns, witnesses said.

Damascus has vowed to retake every last inch of Syria to cap a string of military gains in the last two years that have recovered almost all rebel-controlled regions with the key assistance of Russian air power.

Russia is keen to help Assad regain the entire country, including eventually Idlib, but Tukey, which wants the Syrian leader to leave power, has so far successfully pushed back.

Last week President Vladimir Putin said Russia, Turkey and Iran had agreed to take unspecified extra steps to clear Idlib of what he called “a hotbed of terrorists,” but the Kremlin said there would be no military operation there.</s>BEIRUT — The Latest on the Syria conflict (all times local):

Syrian opposition activists and paramedics say two bomb blasts in the northwestern city of Idlib have inflicted casualties.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the blasts in the Qusour neighborhood during rush hour wounded about 30 people. It said there were unconfirmed reports of deaths.

The Local Coordination Committees and the Syrian Civil Defense, a group of first responders, also reported casualties. The bombs went off in the same area, just seconds apart.

The city of Idlib is controlled by al-Qaida-linked Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which has wide influence in northern Syria.

The city has been hit with bombings in recent months that killed or wounded scores of people.

The Observatory and the Syrian Civil Defense earlier reported government shelling of rebel-held towns south of Idlib, saying several people were wounded.

More than 300 Islamic State militants who are holed up in a tiny area in eastern Syria are refusing to surrender to U.S.-backed Syrian forces and are trying to negotiate an exit.

A person familiar with the negotiations says the militants are asking for a corridor to the rebel-held northwestern province of Idlib. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak about the talks, which he described as taking place indirectly.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an activist group that monitors the civil war in Syria, says another request by the Islamic State group to be evacuated to neighboring Iraq was also rejected.

The militants are making their last stand in eastern Syria, hiding among hundreds of civilians.</s>Syrian opposition activists say twin bomb blasts in northwestern city of Idlib have killed at least 10 people

BEIRUT (AP) — Syrian opposition activists say twin bomb blasts in northwestern city of Idlib have killed at least 10 people.</s>A double bomb attack in Syria's jihadist-held city of on Monday killed 24 people, including four children, a war monitor said.

The first blast was caused by a bomb planted under a car in the main city of the region, the for Human Rights said.

A motorcycle bomb detonated after ambulances arrived at the scene of the first explosion, the Britain-based monitoring group said.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, which the Observatory said also wounded at least 51, updating an earlier casualty toll. Idlib, the last major part of still outside the control of Bashar al-Assad's regime, is held by an alliance led by Syria's former affiliate,

HTS took administrative control of the whole of the region last month, after overpowering smaller Turkey-backed factions.

The Islamic State group also has sleeper cells in the area. A local office of the "Salvation Government", an administrative body created by HTS, is located on the street targeted by Monday's attack.

Four HTS fighters were killed in the blast, the Observatory said, while the other 20 victims were civilians.

has been protected from a massive regime offensive since September by a buffer zone deal agreed by regime ally and rebel backer

But it has been hit by sporadic government shelling. Eight years into the conflict that has killed more than 360,000 people, the government controls nearly two-thirds of the country.
Twin explosions in Idlib, Syria, kill 24 people and injure more than 20.