Syria Car Bomb Kills 8
A car bomb exploded in the Syrian town of Mayadeen, killing at least 8. The town and the province of Dei el-Zour has seen heavy fighting between the al-Qaida associated Nusra Front and ISIS, pictured here after taking the Iraq city of Mosul. Reuters

A suicide car bombing in Mayadeen, an eastern Syrian town near the border of Iraq, killed at least 8 people on Saturday. There are conflicting reports on the number killed, with Syrian state television putting the number at 30.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 8 individuals were killed in the explosion. According to the monitoring group's post on Facebook, "Der-Ezzor Province: no less than 8 civilians killed, while many were seriously injured by a suicide car explosion in the arms market in al-Myadin city this morning."

Reuters describes Mayadeen as a "power base" for the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), or Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), the al Qaeda splinter group which has captured major towns throughout Iraq including Mosul. ISIS and several other rebel groups, including the Nusra Front, which is associated with al Qaeda, have been battling in the town, reports Agence France-Presse. The province of Deir el-Zour has also seen heavy fighting between rebels and government forces, reports Associated Press.

The Syrian conflict has killed close to 160,000 during the four years of fighting with up to three million Syrians fleeing the country, notes AP. The recent fighting between ISIS and Nusra Front in Deir el-Zour during the last few months has killed hundreds and displaced thousands, reports Reuters.

Iraq