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Carlton Citadel Hotel bombing

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Carlton Citadel Hotel bombing
The Carlton Citadel Hotel before the bombing
Date8 May 2014 (2014-05-08)
LocationAleppo, Syria
OutcomeDestruction of the Carlton Citadel Hotel
Deaths14–50
SuspectsIslamic Front

On 8 May 2014, a bomb blast leveled the Carlton Citadel Hotel in Aleppo, Syria, killing 14–50.

Background

Main article: Syrian Civil War

In the weeks preceding the bombing, the rebel group Islamic Front, and other rebel groups, had been attacking government-held positions within the city. On 6 May, a rebel bombing had occurred near Ma'arat al-Nu'man, killing 30 government operatives.

The Carlton Citadel Hotel occupied a 150-year-old building in which government troops had been stationed (opposition claim). A statement from the Islamic Front referred to the building as a "barracks"; troops had been based there for two years. It was originally built as a hospital for World War I and was afterward renovated and reopened as a hotel.

In February 2014, a similar operation occurred at the Carlton Citadel Hotel; the Islamic Front was also responsible for that blast, having spent two months digging a 300-metre-long (980 ft) tunnel and planting explosives in it as a part of Operation Earthquake. That explosion killed five soldiers and wounded eighteen. The attack resulted in the hotel's "partial collapse".

Attack

Though reports differ, the Islamic Front tunnelled either 400 metres (1,300 ft) or 100 metres (330 ft) under sites in the Old City, and remotely detonated "a large quantity", reportedly 20 tons of explosive material (suggested to be chemical fertilisers) which caused a "huge explosion"; resulting in both the destruction of the hotel and severe damage to neighboring buildings.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported the death toll as 14 government troops, but the Islamic Front claimed the death toll was 50 in a Twitter statement. Neither gave an explanation as to how they reached their estimate. The Islamic Front also released a video of the attack online.

The bombing left the hotel as a "pile of rubble", and felt similar to an earthquake in relation to the blast size.

Reactions

Reports following the attack blamed "terrorists", a word the government uses as a byword for the Islamic armed opposition.

References

  1. ^ "Syria conflict: Huge blast 'destroys Aleppo hotel'". BBC. 8 May 2014. Retrieved 8 May 2014.
  2. ^ "Syrian rebels blow up Aleppo hotel used by army". Reuters. 8 May 2014. Retrieved 8 May 2014.
  3. ^ Chulov, Martin (8 May 2014). "Syria rebels blow up Aleppo hotel used as barracks by government forces". The Guardian. Retrieved 9 May 2014.
  4. Saad, Hwaida; Cowell, Alan (8 May 2014). "Explosion Levels Hotel Housing Government Troops in Syria". The New York Times. Retrieved 8 May 2014.
  5. ^ "Islamic front blows up Assad forces' HQ in Aleppo". Anadolu Agency. 17 February 2014. Retrieved 9 May 2014.
  6. "Syria rebels explode mines under Aleppo hotel: NGO". Ahram Online. 14 February 2014. Retrieved 9 May 2014.
  7. ^ Aji, Albert; Karem, Zeina (9 May 2014). "Syrian Rebels Attack Aleppo Hotel". Time. Archived from the original on 8 May 2014. Retrieved 9 May 2014.
  8. "Syria crisis: Aleppo hotel used by Assad forces 'levelled'". The Guardian. 8 May 2014. Retrieved 8 May 2014.
  9. "Rebels claim Syria hotel blast". MSN. 8 May 2014. Archived from the original on 11 May 2014. Retrieved 8 May 2014.
  10. Williams, Rob (8 May 2014). "Syria conflict: Rebels claim responsibility for 'huge' blast that levelled hotel in Aleppo". The Independent. Archived from the original on 1 May 2022. Retrieved 8 May 2014.

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