At least 15 people were killed and more than a dozen others injured on Monday in a deadly car bomb explosion that rocked the outskirts of the northern Syrian city of Manjib.

The attack, which took place near a vehicle carrying agricultural workers, resulted in the tragic deaths of 14 women and one man, according to local civil defence officials.

The Syrian civil defence group, also known as the White Helmets, reported that the explosion occurred on the periphery of the city, east of Aleppo, and left at least 15 women wounded, with some in critical condition.

The attack comes amid ongoing instability in the region, which has been plagued by violence and territorial disputes between various factions since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in December.

The city of Manjib, once held by the US-backed Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), has seen repeated clashes between Turkish-supported groups and Kurdish forces.

In December, the Syrian National Army (SNA), backed by Turkey, seized control of the city from the SDF in a bid to establish a buffer zone near the Turkish border.

Monday’s bombing is the second deadly car bomb explosion to strike Manjib in recent days. On Saturday, a similar blast in the city center killed four civilians and injured nine others, according to Syria’s state news agency SANA.

While no group has claimed responsibility for Monday’s attack, the area continues to be a hotspot for violence due to the ongoing power struggle between various armed factions.

The bombings highlight the continuing dangers faced by civilians in Syria’s conflict zones, where such attacks have become a grim part of daily life.

The White Helmets, who are often the first responders to these types of incidents, have been working tirelessly to assist the wounded and recover victims from the rubble, but their resources remain stretched as violence intensifies in the region.

The latest explosion underscores the fragile security situation in northern Syria, where competing military factions, foreign interventions, and the remnants of the Syrian civil war have created a volatile environment for civilians.

The absence of an immediate claim of responsibility for the attack has fueled speculation over which faction or group may be behind the bombing, though such attacks are not uncommon in the region, especially in areas where territorial control is contested.

As humanitarian aid efforts continue, local communities in Manjib and other affected areas are left to cope with the devastating aftermath of these frequent attacks.

The impact on women and children, who are disproportionately affected by the violence, has been particularly severe, with many of the victims of Monday’s explosion being women working in the agricultural sector.

With no clear resolution in sight for Syria’s ongoing conflict, the people of Manjib and other regions of northern Syria remain at the mercy of continued violence, making peace and stability seem ever more elusive.