According to reports, the so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which is based in the UK, reported that a car rigged with explosives went off at a water station in the town of Bsaira in the northern countryside of the province, located 450 kilometers northeast of the capital Damascus, leaving at least 18 people dead.

The Observatory added that half of the casualties were militants from the so-called Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which are backed by the US.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has called US-backed SDF militants "traitors" to the Syrian nation, but left the door open for negotiations with them as he announced "two options" in dealing with the issue during an interview in May.

“The first one: we started now opening doors for negotiations, because the majority of them are Syrians, supposedly they like their country, they don't like to be puppets to any foreigners. If not, we’re going to resort ... to liberating those areas by force,” Assad said. 

The Syrian leader said the US “is losing its cards” as the militant groups it supports have lost significant ground following the liberation of Aleppo, Dayr al-Zawr, Homs, and Damascus suburbs.

“The main card was al-Nusra that was called ‘moderate.’ But when the scandal started leaking, that they are not moderate, they are al-Qaeda ..., they (the Americans) looked for another card. This card is the SDF now,” Assad said.