Istanbul bomb attack on police bus kills 11

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a Comment
A car bomb attack targeting a police bus has killed seven officers and four civilians in central Istanbul.
The explosives were remotely detonated as the vehicle passed through the busy Vezneciler district at the morning rush hour, officials said.
No group has said it carried out the attack, but Kurdish militants have recently targeted security services.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says Turkey will "fight the terrorists to the end".
The explosion happened near the city's historic Beyazit Square neighbourhood, a major tourist attraction, and an Istanbul university building.
About 36 other people were injured, Istanbul's governor, Vasip Sahin, said.
Fire engines stand beside a Turkish police bus which was targeted in IstanbulImage copyrightREUTERS
Image captionThe blast happened at the morning rush hour in central Istanbul
People stand beside beside a Turkish police bus which was targeted in a bomb attack in a central IstanbulImage copyrightSNS
Image captionThe explosion also damaged nearby buildings
Map showing site of the blast in Turkey
Visiting some of the wounded in hospital, Mr Erdogan said: "These (attacks) are being carried out against people whose duty it is to ensure the security of our people.
"These cannot be pardoned or forgiven. We shall continue our fight against terrorists tirelessly until the end."

  Free Download App : News World

Turkey's Foreign Minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu, said the attackers were "cold-heartedly" for exploding bombs on the holy Muslim month of Ramadan, which is in its second day.

At the scene: Mark Lowen, BBC News

Broken windows on a building near to the scene of an attack in IstanbulImage copyrightGETTY
The force of the blast is clear, with windows of surrounding buildings shattered.
The bomb exploded in front of a hotel which, thankfully, was largely empty because of the current tourism decline here. But among the dead are police and civilians while some of those injured remain in a critical condition.
The most likely culprit is the PKK Kurdish militant group, which resumed its conflict with Turkey last year. The PKK, considered terrorists by Turkey, the EU and US, also targeted police vehicles in Ankara in February and March.
A Kurdish group calling itself TAK claimed responsibility then but the Turkish government and western intelligence believe they are simply an alias of the PKK. This is the fourth attack in Istanbul this year. A nervous, vulnerable country waits to see when the next strike could come.
An eyewitness told Reuters news agency that there was a "loud bang", strong enough to topple all the goods from the shelves of his store.

   Free Download App : News World

"We thought it was lightning, but right at that second the windows of the shop came down. It was extremely scary," he said.
Turkey has been hit by bloody attacks in recent months by so-called Islamic State (IS) and the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) or one of its offshoots.
A destroyed van is pictured near a Turkish police bus which was targeted in a bomb attack in a central Istanbul districtImage copyrightREUTERS
Image captionReports said a parked car packed with explosives was detonated by remote control
Turkish special force police officers secure area around the site of a bomb attack that targeted a police bus in IstanbulImage copyrightAFP
Image captionSpecial force officers were sent to the area of the blast
The country is part of the US-led coalition against IS and allows coalition planes to use its air base at Incirlik for raids on Iraq and Syria.
It has also been waging an offensive against the PKK, which fights for autonomy in the majority-Kurdish areas in Turkey's south-east.
A two-year-old ceasefire between Turkey and the PKK broke down last summer. Since then, violence has killed hundreds of Turkish security forces, Kurdish fighters and civilians.

              Free Download App : News World

0 comments:

Post a Comment