7 nearly simultaneous ISIS bombings kill more than 120 in Syria
Syrian human rights groups believe that over 120 people were killed in seven early morning bombings in the cities of Jableh and Tartus — regions of Syria thought to be firmly under the control of President Bashar al-Assad. ISIS has claimed responsibility for the attacks, saying in a statement that they targeted members of the Shiite minority Alawite — a sect to which Assad belongs.
The bombs, which were nearly simultaneous, were mainly suicide attacks and took a reported 73 lives in Jableh and 48 in Tartus. The head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Rami Abdel Rahman, told AFP that the attacks were "without a doubt the deadliest" on the cities since the civil war began in March 2011.
ISIS was not formerly thought to have a presence in the coastal cities, which are considered the heartland of President Assad's territory and are mainly dominated by the rival jihadist group, Al-Nusra Front.
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Targets in the attacks included a bus station as well as a government hospital. A police officer told AFP that one suicide attacker detonated inside the emergency room.
Additionally, twin bombings by ISIS in Yemen killed 41 on Monday. Jeva Lange
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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
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