8 killed, 23 hurt in car blast in Syrian town

A bomb exploded in a shopping area in a northern Syrian city held by pro-Turkish forces yesterday, killing eight people and wounding more than 20, a war monitor said. The blast in Azaz, Aleppo province, occurred not long after midnight as crowds were out shopping late during the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan, an AFP correspondent said. The group Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that "eight people were killed and 23 others wounded" when "a car bomb exploded in the middle of a popular market". The Britain-based Observatory, which has a network of sources inside Syria, said the blast caused "significant damage" and sparked a fire. Bombings and other security incidents are common in areas held by pro-Turkish forces in northern Syria.