Two blasts in the predominantly Kurdish city of Qamishli in Syria on Wednesday have left at least 50 dead and dozens injured. A truck packed with explosives first blew up near the Turkish border. Soon after, an explosives-laden motorcycle was detoned in the same locality. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for both explosions, Al Jazeera reported.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a centre for the local Kurdish police and a government building located nearby were targeted. State television said the toll stands at 44, but it is expected to rise further. The attacks in the northern Syrian city have caused substantial damage in the neighbourhood. Rescue teams are trying to locate victims buried under debris, The Associated Press reported.

With backing from the United States, the Syria Democratic Forces, which is mainly Kurdish, has been the leading the fight against the Islamic State group in north Syria. The explosions come at a time when US and Russian officials are discussing ways to reinforce a ceasefire in the civil war-ridden country.