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Updated at 11.02pm
INITIAL INVESTIGATIONS INDICATE Islamic State militants were responsible for a suicide bomb which killed 30 people in a town near the Syrian border today, Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has said.
“Preliminary findings point to it being a suicide attack carried out by Daesh,” Davutoglu told a news conference in Ankara, using an Arabic name for IS.
“But we are not at a point to make a final judgement.”
Davutoglu said the bomber had not yet been identified.
The bomb attack ripped through a cultural centre in Suruc, a town opposite the Syrian flashpoint of Kobane, leaving 30 people dead and 104 wounded.
Davutoglu denounced it as a “clearly terrorist attack” which targeted Turkey’s peace, democracy and public order.
“This attack targets us all,” he said, urging all political parties and people to demonstrate unity.
Most of the dead were university students who had been planning a mission to help Kobane residents, according to a pro-Kurdish party official.
The force of the explosion blew out the windows of the building and set off a blaze, witnesses said.
Television footage showed several people lying on the ground covered in blood and ambulances rushing to the scene.
If confirmed, today’s attack would be the first such attack by IS fighters against Turkey, a regional military power and NATO member.
The blast took place as an anti-IS group based at the cultural centre was preparing to announce a mission to Kobane.
Alp Altinors from the pro-Kurdish HDP party said the group from the Federation of Socialist Youth Associations was made up of about 300 people, mainly university students from across Turkey.
“They were planning to build parks in Kobane, hand out toys for children and paint school walls,” he told AFP.
‘Targeting Turkey’s unity’
“The town is in chaos. Almost all the shops are closed in Suruc,” local resident Mehmet Celik told AFP.
Russian President Vladimir Putin condemned the “barbaric act” and said in a statement: “Fighting terrorism requires an active cooperation from the whole international community.”
In Kobane, a suicide bomber detonated a car bomb at a checkpoint, killing two members of Kurdish security forces, according to Rami Abdel Rahman, director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
Kobane has been a symbol of resistance against the jihadists since IS fighters were driven out by Syrian Kurdish forces in January.
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A plague on humanity, that lot.
They are indeed. It’s not like them to not claim it. I don’t think they’ve claimed the car bombs in Gaza yesterday either but the media at least is saying they likely did it.
This could mean that they are desperate for new territory and their current tactics in syria are not successful as they are suffering strong resistance from pro syrian kurdish forces and allied airstrikes by west. Their end is near. They might try to cause maximum casualties before dying out totally.
I’m not sure I agree – first, the kurdish forces aren’t “pro syrian” – and yes, they are getting support from allied airstrikes but those air strikes are pretty much only supporting the kurds. Given that the kurds aren’t really interested in going deep into iraq and syrian territory, isis aren’t really getting challenged much west of baghdad nor south of Kobani (at least not by kurdish forces).
Further west it’s either assad or al nusra front (mostly) and neither of them are making much headway against isis either.
Personally, I think that they are feeding their wish to remain in the news – that’s if this is them – by attempting to show that they can strike outside their self-declared state.
That’s why I’m starting to think that the “boots on the ground” approach might actually be credible now. Iraq isn’t really handling it and there’s not a lot of trust from sunni iraqis that shia militia forces will truly protect them; the kurds in the north appear to be well able to protect the north and between there and the west of syria are running riot.
It seems to me like it’s either boots on the ground or some kind of split of iraq, a thin western strip called syria and these savages in between. And that’s REALLY unpalatable.
Probably you are right Tony, I am too much optimistic but dying out of them means when the nook gets tighter around their necks they do not die physically. these terrorist members stop or gradually slow down their activities due to the lack of resources and ammunition and eventually mingle with local population with intermittent flare ups. Its the fate of all terrorist organisations.
Unfortunately though, this shower are different and are getting support. Some of the raided artifacts they have plundered have already ended up being traced to buyers. And that’s probably only a small source of funding for them.
One thing that this attack might do is get Turkey to be stronger about their relatively leaky border. It’s been a criticism of them for a while now so hopefully at least that might change.
Where will it end with isis!!! they need to be wiped out fast!!!
It’s a very complicated thing given that in Iraq, the coordination of iraqi miliraty, police, shia militia and sunni tribesmen doesn’t appear to be what it could be in the current advance in Anbar – and the choices in opposition to isis in syria is assad or al qaida affiliates.
I never thought I’d say this but it’s genuinely starting to look like “boots on the ground” might actually be a genuine option this time.
I see your point Tony but let’s not forget that it was boots on the ground that started this bloody mess in the first place.
I understand that it would certainly be being very very kind to call the 2003 invasion of Iraq “misguided” but there were other problems there.
At this point, with the systematic rape and murder that is going on I can’t see any other way – but it has to be by “invitation” let’s say.
Something to bear in mind is that the people attacked in Turkey today belong to the same European Socialist Youth organisation that was attacked in Utoya, Norway. Thoughts are with their family and friends at this very difficult time.
These people are sub human and it seems the world is either unwilling or incapable of dealing with them and the havoc the reap!
Unfortunately the western super powers are mostly to blame for the rise of ISIS. Trying to bring a western style of democracy to a part of the world that is mostly tribal was always just a pipe dream. Bet they wish they could have Saddam and Gadafi back!
ISIS are to blame for the rise of ISIS
I’ll bet the Turks aren’t so happy now that they stood back when the Kurds tool on IS a while back. When IS carry out more attacks on Turkish soil and especially in their tourist resorts they may regret not stamping on IS when they had a chance. I for one would certainly not be booking a holiday in Turkey any tome soon.
Heading there tomorrow for work… Interesting day seeing this….
Terrorists have no respect for human life as they try and force their crazy ideals on ‘others’.
Wasn’t something similar said about George Washington during the American war of independence ……Proof that today’s terrorists are tomorrow’s political leaders. A better solution is needed rather than just sending more troops to do more fighting.
Yes like the good old Us of A spreading freedom around the world
Aye John.
GW fought for the same as what our 1916 leaders were looking for. And we’re spending a fortune marking the occasion next year. Lovely.
Your widely used and frankly boring one man’s terrorist case certainly does not apply to these low lifes.
They are fighting to create a state of misery, oppression and suffering. Not exactly the same as what GW fought for.
I don’t recall George Washington blowing up students in London, throwing gay people from roofs, stoning people to death or drowning suspected Loyalists for entertainment
If a ground force had of been sent in a year ago things mite be different..they have been allowed to grow and expand without interference. Dropping the odd million dollar Bomb to kill one or two is ridiculous. A huge force of Muslim and foreign troops are needed asap.
Actually, JDAM’s only cost about $2,000 per bomb. They’re incredibly cheap due to them using a modified version of an old bomb and a massive amount of mass-production.
Troops on the ground is not an option in reality. The situation is incredibly complex, with large numbers of opposing groups and public perception difficult to gauge. Many Iraqi’s, for example, could see a deployment of NATO troops as merely US Invasion Number Three and oppose it despite the level of incompetence of their own military when handling ISIS.
Long story short, boots on the ground would give ISIS more legitimacy in their claims (fighting for a caliphate to take on the evil Western Empire) and could destabilise the region even more than it already is.
Strange one even for year zero murderers like ISIS. Turkey has looked the other way while they smuggled weapons and foreign fighters over their border.. Kurds are Turkey’s real concern. Hopefully when this disaster is over, the Kurds will get the state they so richly deserve. A democratic people in the middle of a hell hole.
Ah, the gift the US gave to the middle east continues to give and give. Fiona please look up PNAC or occasionally read the information clearing house website.
ISIS are ruining the world it’s an absolute disgrace what their doing & what their getting away with nothing but a shower of murderers
Genuine question. are the Kurds democratic?
Check out the YouTube doc on rojava, the kurdish liberated zone in northern syria.. Very progressive ideas..
The problem with the Kurds for the West lies in the fact that both Turkey and Iraq are officially allies of the West. The Kurds claim part of both states as their own which of course puts a strain on relations between the Kurds and the major players in the area.
While the Kurds are open, relatively progressive for the region and have fought incredibly hard against ISIS it would also be difficult for the West to back a push for a united sovereign Kurdistan.
Another step closer …..
Just watched this on the news so shocking these young people just doing good shocking appallying and makes me so angry enough is enough from this terrorist group shocking appallying and cruel
Death to ISIS
Will they not come out and fight like men?
They are, they’ve managed to beat a number of organisations in open combat in the field. The only group that has shown to be capable of beating ISIS back in open combat is the Kurdish military forces.
Mind you, a couple of divisions of the US Military would probably steamroll ISIS-held territory in a matter of weeks and drive them underground.
RIP extremist are a serious threat to our liberty
Slim
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