1st LD: Explosion targets rebel position in Syria's Aleppo, 7 militants killed

A booby-trapped vehicle tore through a security headquarter of the Syrian rebel, Ahrar al-Sham Movement, in the northern province of Aleppo on Monday, killing seven members and injuring tens of others, a monitor group reported.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the "powerful explosion" rocked the rebel-held district of al-Sukary in eastern Aleppo city. It added a suicide bomber detonated his booby-trapped fuel tanker in the security zone of the Ahrar al-Sham Movement, killing seven militants, including at least four commanders, and destroying three buildings.

The UK-based watchdog group said the death toll could likely rise as many militants were critically wounded and people were under the rubble.

Ahrar al-Sham, a Salafist rebel movement that enjoys close ties with Turkey, is a coalition of multiple Islamist and Salafist units that coalesced into a single brigade in order to fight against President Bashar al-Assad.

In July 2013, the group had 10,000 to 20,000 fighters. Russia has designated the group as a terrorist organization. Endit