Asia Pacific Daily News - Focus on Asia-Pacific Development, Daily News Express, Scholar Creation Center

Second bombing in a month in Ankara kills 34, injures 125

THE STRAITS TIMES

THE STRAITS TIMES

text

(THESTRAITSTIMES)AcarbombtorethroughacrowdedtransporthubintheTurkishcapitalAnkaraonSunday(March13),killingatleast34peopleandwounding125inthesecondsuchattackintheadministrativeheartofthecityinunderamonth.

Theblast,whichcouldbeheardseveralkilometresaway,sentburningdebrisshoweringdownoveranareaafewhundredmetresfromtheJusticeandInteriorMinistries,atopcourthouse,andtheformerofficeoftheprimeminister.

“Theseattacks,whichthreatenourcountry’sintegrityandournation’sunityandsolidarity,donotweakenourresolveinfightingterrorismbutbolsterourdetermination,”PresidentTayyipErdogansaidinastatement.

TwoseniorsecurityofficialstoldReutersthefirstfindingssuggestedthattheKurdistanWorkersParty(PKK),whichhaswagedathree-decadeinsurgencyforKurdishautonomy,oranaffiliatedgroup,wasresponsible.

Therewasnoimmediateclaimofresponsibility,butInteriorMinisterEfkanAlasaidthenameofthegroupbehindtheattackwouldlikelybeannouncedonMondayafterinitialinvestigationswerecompleted.

“Civiliancitizenswaitingatabusstopweretargetedinaterroristattackwithabomb-ladencar,”MrAlatoldreportersafterameetingwithPrimeMinisterAhmetDavutoglu,theheadoftheintelligenceagencyandsecuritychiefs.“Significantfindingshavebeenmade,buttheorganisationbehindthiswillbeannouncedoncetheinvestigationhasbeenfinalised,”hesaid.

AwomanlooksatherhomedestroyedduringclashesintheSurdistrictofDiyarbakironMarch13,2016.TurkeyonMarch13easedacurfewinpartofDiyarbakir,themaincityinthecountry'sKurdish-dominatedsoutheast.

Turkeyfacesmultiplesecuritythreats.AspartofaUS.-ledcoalition,itisfightingtheIslamicStateinIraqandSyria(ISIS).ItisalsobattlingPKKmilitantsinits

ThebombingcametwodaysaftertheUSEmbassyissuedawarningthattherewasinformationregardingapotentialattackongovernmentbuildingsintheBahcelievlerareaofAnkara,justafewkmawayfromtheblastsite.

TheUnitedStatescondemnedtheattack,sayinginaWhiteHouseNationalSecurityCouncilstatement:“ThishorrificactisonlythemostrecentofmanyterroristattacksperpetratedagainsttheTurkishpeople.TheUnitedStatesstandstogetherwithTurkey,aNatoallyandvaluedpartner,asweconfrontthescourgeofterrorism.”

HealthMinisterMehmetMuezzinoglusaid30ofthosekilledhaddiedatthescene,whilethefourothersdiedinhospital.Atleastoneortwoofthedeadwereattackers,hesaid,and19ofthe125woundedwereincriticalcondition.

OneofthesecurityofficialssaidthecarusedintheattackwasaBMWdrivenfromViransehir,atowninthelargelyKurdishsouth-east,andthatthePKKandtheaffiliatedKurdistanFreedomHawks(TAK)appearedtoberesponsible.

TAKclaimedresponsibilityforthepreviouscarbombing,justafewblocksaway,onFeb17.Thatattacktargetedamilitarybusasitwaitedattrafficlights,andkilled29people,mostofthemsoldiers,nearthemilitaryheadquarters,parliamentandotherkeygovernmentinstitutions.

Apolicesourcesaidthereappearedtohavebeentwoattackers,oneamanandtheotherawoman,whoseseveredhandwasfound300metresfromtheblastsite.

TheexplosiveswerethesamekindasthoseusedonFeb17andthebombhadbeenreinforcedwithpelletsandnailstocausemaximumdamage,thesourcetoldReuters.

Thepro-KurdishoppositionHDP,parliament’sthirdlargestparty,whichMrErdoganaccusesofbeinganextensionofthePKK,condemnedwhatitdescribedasa“savageattack”.

StatebroadcasterTRTsaidthecarhadexplodedatamajortransporthub,hittingabuscarryingsome20peoplenearthecentralGuvenParkandKizilaySquareat6.43pm(1643GMT).

AnAnkaracourtorderedabanonaccesstoFacebook,TwitterandothersitesinTurkeyafterimagesfromthebombingweresharedonsocialmedia,broadcastersCNNTurkandNTVreported.