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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.[1][2]

Background

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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.[1] On 6 May, a rebel bombing had occurred near Ma'arat al-Nu'man, killing 30 government operatives.[2]

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";[1] troops had been based there for two years.[3] It was originally built as a hospital for World War I and was afterward renovated and reopened as a hotel.[4]

In February 2014, a similar operation occurred at the Carlton Citadel Hotel;[5] 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.[2][5] That explosion killed five soldiers and wounded eighteen.[6] The attack resulted in the hotel's "partial collapse".[7]

Attack

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Though reports differ, the Islamic Front tunnelled either 400 metres (1,300 ft)[3] or 100 metres (330 ft)[7] under sites in the Old City, and remotely detonated "a large quantity", reportedly 20 tons[7] of explosive material[1] (suggested to be chemical fertilisers[7]) which caused a "huge explosion";[8] resulting in both the destruction of the hotel and severe damage to neighboring buildings.[2][1]

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported the death toll as 14 government troops, but the Islamic Front claimed the death toll was 50[1] in a Twitter statement.[9] Neither[7] gave an explanation as to how they reached their estimate.[1] The Islamic Front also released a video of the attack online.[3]

The bombing left the hotel as a "pile of rubble", and felt similar to an earthquake in relation to the blast size.[7]

Reactions

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Reports following the attack blamed "terrorists", a word the government uses as a byword for the Islamic armed opposition.[10]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g "Syria conflict: Huge blast 'destroys Aleppo hotel'". BBC. 8 May 2014. Retrieved 8 May 2014.
  2. ^ a b c d "Syrian rebels blow up Aleppo hotel used by army". Reuters. 8 May 2014. Retrieved 8 May 2014.
  3. ^ a b c 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. ^ a b "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. ^ a b c d e f 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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