At least 30 killed in ‘terrorist attack’ near Turkey-Syria border

Europe, Middle East, News July 20, 2015 , by IRIA No Comments

Several people killed and dozens wounded in explosion in the southeastern Turkish town of Suruc near the Syrian border

At least 30 people have been killed in an explosion in the southeastern Turkish town of Suruc, some ten kilometres from the border with Syria.

The blast ripped through a cultural centre in Suruc, a town opposite the Syrian flashpoint of Kobane — which was hit shortly afterwards by a suicide car bombing.

The force of the explosion in Suruc smashed the windows of the building in the centre of the city and set off a fire, witnesses said.

Television footage showed several people lying on the ground covered in blood and ambulances rushing to the scene. Local media said around a hundred people are being treated in local hospitals and there are concerns the death toll could rise.

Turkish officials claim that initial evidence suggested an ISIS suicide attack had caused the blast.

Turkish prime minister Ahmet Davutoglu said initial investigations indicated Islamic State (ISIS) militants were responsible.

“Preliminary findings point to it being a suicide attack carried out by Daesh,” Mr Davutoglu told a news conference in Ankara, using an Arabic name for ISIS.

“But we are not at a point to make a final judgement.”

Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, on a visit to northern Cyprus, condemned the attack as an “act of terror”.

“On behalf of my people, I curse and condemn the perpetrators of this brutality,” he said.

“Terror must be condemned no matter where it comes from.”

The interior ministry vowed to find the perpetrators as soon as possible and bring them to justice.

“We call on everyone to stand together and remain calm in the face of this terrorist attack which targets the unity of our country,” the ministry said in a statement.