The death toll of a suspected suicide bombing in the Turkish city of Gaziantep has now risen to 50, with local authorities confirming over 100 more were injured in the blast.
Guests at a Kurdish wedding were the apparent target of the attack early this morning, with many of the victims dancing in the street at the time of the explosion.
UPDATE: 22 killed, almost 100 injured after blast in #Gaziantep, #Turkey – governor https://t.co/A5zYYYTCJi pic.twitter.com/0ol9ruJiAN
— RT (@RT_com) August 20, 2016
Local media report the couple had moved to Gaziantep to avoid conflict between Kurdish militia and Turkish armed forces.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the bombing was most likely carried out by Islamic State, who are known to operate in the border city.
via Google Maps.
It’s thought the attack may have been in response to Kurdish forces attacking ISIS in neighbouring Syria, and Erdogan said the attack intended to create conflict between the many ethnic groups within Turkey.
Erddogan, who overcame a deadly coup attempt last month, said “our country and our nation have again only one message to those who attack us — you will not succeed.”
The blast is the latest in a series of attacks on the nation, following suicide bombings in Istanbul and at Turkey’s largest airport.
Source: BBC / ABC.
Photo: Ahmet-Sait Videolari / YouTube.
Source: BBC / ABC.
Photo: Ahmet-Sait Videolari / YouTube.
