Blast in camp for Syrians near Jordan claims six

Cease-fire talks set for Monday in Kazakhstan

BEIRUT — A large explosion rocked a camp for displaced Syrians along the Syrian-Jordanian border Saturday, killing at least six, and wounding many others, opposition activists said.

The explosion near the border came despite the fragile Dec. 30 cease-fire, sponsored by Russia and Turkey, who back opposite sides of the conflict. Syria continues to be beset by violence, including clashes between government forces and rebel fighters as well as a number of offensives against Islamic State militants in the country.

Talks between government officials, rebel representatives and attended by Russian, Turkish and U.N. officials are scheduled Monday in the Kazakh capital, Astana, to discuss reinforcing the cease-fire and ensuring humanitarian access.

Some rebel factions have agreed to send representatives, but the al-Qaidalinked Fatah al-Sham Front slammed the talks Saturday as a “conspiracy.” In a statement, the front said that any rebel group attending the Astana conference would be essentially agreeing that Syrian President Bashar Assad will stay in office. The government and Russia insist that the Islamic State group and the Fatah al-Sham Front must both be excluded from any cease-fire.

Fatah al-Sham, one of the most powerful on the ground on Syria, said other rebel factions had been pressured by their foreign patrons to attend and that the end result would be to drive a wedge between Syria’s insurgents. Rivalries have plagued Syria’s insurgents. Infighting as well as splits and failed mergers have been reported in recent weeks— further weakening their ranks.

“Negotiations in Astana about the fate of the country and its people are not the right of one side,” the group said in a statement. “Those who risk the battlefield and bypass must realize the consequences in the future.”

Near the border with Jordan, Mohammed Hassan al-Homsi, an opposition activist with the Palmyra News Network, said a small truck carrying blankets was detonated from afar, killing at least six civilians at the Rukban camp, including a man, his wife and two children.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the explosion caused a huge cloud of smoke over the area. A video posted by the Syrian Media Organization also showed some tents burning, as parts of the car bomb were scattered across the camp. The Observatory, which has a network of activists on the ground, put the death toll at 11, including the family of four, and four militiamen. Another opposition activist network, the Palmyra Coordination group, said the explosion hit a checkpoint for a local militia near the market.