At least 15 people were killed and dozens injured in a car bomb blast on the outskirts of a northern Syrian city on Monday, according to local civil defense and a war monitoring group.

The explosion occurred near the city of Manbij, where the car bomb detonated close to a vehicle carrying agricultural workers. The blast resulted in the deaths of 14 women and one man, as reported by the Syrian civil defense. Additionally, 15 women were injured, some critically. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, based in the UK, reported that 18 women and one man were killed in the attack.

This incident marks the seventh car bomb explosion in Manbij in just over a month, as stated by Munir Mustafa, deputy director of the Syrian Civil Defense (White Helmets). He expressed concern that ongoing attacks in Aleppo province, near Syria's second-largest city, will hinder the country’s efforts to achieve post-war security and economic recovery.

Mustafa emphasized that attacks targeting civilians in Syria, as they attempt to recover from the devastation caused by President Bashar Assad’s 14-year regime, are exacerbating the humanitarian crisis. These attacks threaten lives, hinder progress in education and agriculture, and further deteriorate the overall situation.

Violence in Manbij persists despite the fall of President Assad in December, with Turkish-backed factions, known as the Syrian National Army, continuing to clash with U.S.-backed Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces. A car bombing in Manbij on Saturday killed four civilians and injured nine, according to the SANA news agency, citing civil defense officials.