DAMASCUS, Sept. 1 (Xinhua) -- A car bomb went off near a position of the rebels in Syria's northern city of Azaz near Turkish border on Saturday, leaving an unknown number of people killed and wounded, activists said.

The car exploded near a local council of the rebels in the city center of Azaz, located in the northern countryside of Aleppo province.

The local councils are pro-opposition civil institutions set up in rebel-held areas in Aleppo and Idlib.

The party behind the explosion has not been identified yet amid a state of lawlessness and infighting in rebel-held areas in northern Syria.

On July 19, 2012, rebels opposed to the Syrian government succeeded in capturing Azaz, which is a highly valued area due to its proximity to the Turkish-Syrian border as it's a logistical supply for the rebels.

The Islamic State (IS) took control of Azaz in October 2013 but withdrew from the city in February 2014 and the Turkey-backed rebels assumed control over it.