Car bomb kills nine people in Syrian town of Atmeh

At least nine people were killed in a car bomb attack today near a field hospital in the Syrian town of Atmeh near the border with Turkey, activists said.

The hospital is owned by Ghassan Aboud, a Gulf-based businessman who runs Orient Television, which said at least 10 people were killed.

It was not immediately clear who carried out the attack. Syria is in the throes of civil war and Atmeh is in territory held by rebels fighting to overthrow president Bashar al-Assad.

"There are 50 casualties and they are being transported to Bab al-Hawa (crossing) and to another hospital in Atmeh," said witness Abdallah Saleh. The hospital was damaged, he said.

The revolt against Dr Assad erupted in March 2011 with protesters calling for more rights. It turned to a militarised uprising under the heavy crackdown of Dr Assad's security forces.

Now, Islamist fighters, including jihadis from across the world, have eclipsed secular groups and are also at war with each other in much of Syria, with the Nusra Front and other Islamists fighting the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL)- a group disavowed by al Qaeda.

Reuters