More Violence in Syria as Diplomatic Push Continues

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A series of truck bombs in northeast Syria has killed at least 22 people, a human rights monitoring group said Friday.

This latest violence comes as negotiators meet in Riyad, Saudi Arabia to seek a solution to the war in Syria.

The bombs exploded near a vegetable market and a health center in the Kurdish-held town of Tel Tamer, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The human rights group said many were also wounded in the attack late Thursday. The truck bombing death toll is expected to rise in the coming days.

No group has claimed responsibility for the bombings.

Tel Tamer is controlled by the Kurdish People’s Defense Forces (YPG, in Kurdish). For months, they have battled Islamic State extremists in the area.

Syrian opposition groups united Thursday to agree on talks with President Bashar al-Assad’s government. More than 100 Syrian politicians and military leaders met in Riyadh, and gave their support to negotiations for a possible peace deal.

The talks in Saudi Arabia resulted from a plan agreed to last month. That plan was developed by 20 world powers in Vienna.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry welcomed the “positive outcome” of the meeting.

Kerry said meetings may be held in New York next week. These meetings would be a follow-up to the Vienna talks.

In other diplomatic news, officials from the United States, Russia and the United Nations also met Friday in Geneva to advance the Syrian peace process.

I'm Mario Ritter.

The VOAnews.com staff wrote this story. Jim Dresbach adapted it for Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor.

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