Suicide bombing in Syria’s Aleppo amid Suweida unrest, ceasefire violations

A suicide bomber in Syria’s Aleppo killed himself and no other casualties, the state news agency SANA reported, while the humanitarian situation in Suweida worsens, amid unrest and increasing ceasefire violations.

The blast in Aleppo on Sunday took place near a bakery in the al-Maysar neighbourhood, security sources reported.

Reports state that security services are still working to establish the identity of the suicide bomber.

On the same day, unknown gunmen assassinated the former leader of the Syrian National Army (SNA) in the Aleppo countryside.

The leader, Alaa al-Din Ayoub, also known as Farouq Abu Bakr, was in the city of Azaz when he was killed.

The killing has triggered locals to call for justice and an investigation from the Syrian authorities.

Reports state that he was gunned down while he was in his vehicle near the Free Aleppo University campus, shortly after he left the exam hall there. Images that later circulated on social media platforms showed him surrounded by a puddle of his blood.

Syria’s deputy interior minister for security affairs, Abdel Qader Tahan, denounced the killing, calling it a "heinous crime in every moral sense" and calling Abu Bakr a "fighter and revolutionary since the early days of the Syrian uprising".

He also vowed that "perpetrators will not escape accountability" following the incident.

According to the Syrian Observer, Abu Bakr was a well-known figure in the armed opposition and was previously arrested by the Syrian Air Force Intelligence before joining the armed struggle in Aleppo.

He is also the co-founder of the Islamic Dawn Movement, which later merged with Ahrar al-Sham. In 2016, he had a key role in the siege of Aleppo, where he represented rebel factions in talks with the now-ousted Assad regime.

Meanwhile, violations to the ceasefire in Suweida are increasing, causing fears of a new escalation.

Late on Sunday evening, a new violation was recorded in the western countryside, forcing government forces to open fire at the village of Al-Majdal.

A correspondent for Hawar News said that clashes broke out between local Druze militants and government forces.

Residents reported intense gunfire in the area, raising the alarm over the situation.

Over 90 families have also left Suweida in recent days, as the humanitarian crisis in the area worsens.

The deteriorating conditions come after a bout of bloodshed in mid-July, where Druze fighters and Bedouins clashed, drawing in government forces. Around 1,600 people, many of them Druze, were killed.

In late July, the UN said the violence displaced at least 145,000 people.