Five bomb disposal experts were killed when a car bomb exploded Thursday near the Syrian opposition-controlled town Jarabulus, according to a civil defense source.

The car loaded with explosives from People's Protection Units (YPG)-controlled Manbij was headed to Jarablus -- a town controlled by the Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA) in Turkey's Euphrates Shield Operation area -- Raid Salih, head of civil defense teams told Anadolu Agency.

The vehicle detonated in Gandura, the first checkpoint of the operation area, Salih said.

A child was killed and 20 others were injured earlier Thursday in a similar attack in Afrin, also located in the Turkish-backed Olive Branch Operation area.

Jarablus was liberated from Daesh terrorists by Turkey's Operation Euphrates Shield in September 2016. The operation, which concluded in March 2017, was meant to clear terrorists from areas of Syria bordering Turkey.

The town of Manbij and its surrounding area have been controlled by the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which is dominated by the YPG terrorist group, since August 2016 after ousting Daesh terrorists who captured the town from moderate opposition in January 2014.