Kurdish forces 'targeted in northeastern Syria'

The target of the attack was the headquarters of the Asayish security agency set up by an autonomous Kurdish administration in northern Syria.

"A suicide bomber in a vehicle targeted the Asayish's local headquarters in Qamishli. There are at least 10 dead," said Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, adding that all 10 killed were the members of the Asayish force.

"It was a massive explosion. At least 14 civilians have been wounded," Rahman said.

According to a local journalist, the blast could be heard throughout the city. "There is a lot of destruction – the buildings on at least two streets have been completely destroyed," Arin Shekhmos told the AFP news agency.

Qamishli is presently under joint control of Kurdish authorities and President Bashar al Assad's forces that are battling against the "Islamic State" (IS) militant group. The city has come under attack several times this year. In July, the convoys of the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) and Asayish were targeted.

Sunni militant organization IS has captured vast swathes of territory in Syria and Iraq. The Iraqi forces and Syrian rebels have thwarted their advance in many areas with the help of the US air power.

shs/jil (Reuters, AFP)