An explosion believed to be caused by a car bomb killed at least 39 people fleeing villages near Aleppo, Syria, on Saturday, local news outlets reported.
The bomb hit a group of buses heading into the city to escape fighting in or near the residents' towns. The buses were among a convoy of vehicles carrying about 5,000 people which was delayed at a checkpoint outside the city since Friday.
Children are reportedly among the dead, as were about 20 rebel fighters, said an unnamed rebel leader. The van thought to have been used in the attack was marked as a humanitarian relief vehicle.
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