Deadly car-bomb rocks Syrian regime's Lattakia stronghold

The attack took place in the al-Amara neighbourhood of Jableh which is located 25km south of Lattakia city, one of the main strongholds of the Syrian regime of President Bashar al-Assad.

Russian troops are also stationed in Jableh.

Syrian state media reported that nine people were killed in the attack and a further 25 injured, with BBC Arabic reporting that the car blast was caused by a suicide bomber.

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights put the death toll at 14, with claims from media activists that both civilians and members of the Syrian National Defense – a pro-regime militia that has a strong influence in Lattakia province – were among the casualties.

Videos from the attack's aftermath show smoke rising from damaged shop fronts and properties in the area while fire trucks attempt to put out fires surrounded by overturned, burnt out cars and pools of blood.

At the time of publication no group had claimed responsibility for the attack.

The Islamic State group previously said it was behind a series of bomb attacks in Jableh, and other areas of Lattakia province in May last year.

The attack comes at a time when a Russia-Turkey backed ceasefire for Syria that came into place on December 29 is being threatened by the continuation of fighting on a number of fronts in Syria, with rebel groups pointing to ongoing advances by pro-regime troops on the valley of Wadi Barada, located close to Damascus, as evidence of violations of the deal.