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Syria conflict: '15 killed' in Azaz on Turkish border | |
(35 minutes later) | |
At least 15 people have been killed in a car bomb blast in the rebel-held Syrian town of Azaz, near the Turkish border, reports say. | |
The explosion occurred outside a courthouse in the town, some just 7km (four miles) from the Turkish frontier. | |
Azaz has recently been targeted by so-called Islamic State (IS). | |
The latest blast comes amid a nationwide ceasefire - brokered by Russia and Turkey. It has been mainly observed, despite some violations. | |
It is not clear who was behind Saturday's explosion, which, according to some reports, may have killed as many as 60 people and injured many more. | |
Why Azaz is so important for Turkey | |
IS has tried several times to take the town it originally held it in 2013. | |
Thousands of people displaced from elsewhere in the province have settled in Azaz. | |
They include those from Aleppo, which the government took from the rebels opposed to President Bashar al-Assad late last year. | |
Twenty-five people were killed in a car bomb attack on rebel headquarters in November. And 17 others died in a similar attack on a rebel checkpoint in October. | |
IS has been blamed for the attacks. | |
Russia, along with Turkey and Iran, is now pushing for peace talks to be held later this month in the capital of Kazakhstan, Astana. |