At least 13 killed, 33 wounded in bomb blast near Turkish-Syrian border

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Published time: February 11, 2013 13:39
Edited time: February 11, 2013 21:55

Damaged cars are seen after an explosion at Cilvegozu border gate near the town of Reyhanli on the Turkish-Syrian border in Hatay province February 11, 2013 (Reuters / Cem Genco / Anadolu Agency)

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Blast, Syria, Turkey

At least 13 people have been killed and 33 others wounded in a bomb blast near the Turkish-Syrian border.

The blast occurred near the Turkish town of Reyhanli, at the Cilvegozu border gate. A Turkish government official has confirmed that the explosion originated from a vehicle, and was not a mortar round. "There was an explosion in the no-man's zone. It was not a mortar attack. It was very strong," a Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman said.

The bomb reportedly went off in a car carrying a Syrian plate, Today's Zaman reporter Mahir Zeynalov quoted Turkish media as saying. Witnesses say they saw the car drive up to the border post shortly before the explosion. Television footage and photographs show heavy damage to cars at the border, where a gate was blown open and part of the roof collapsed.

A man walks past a damaged gate after an explosion at Cilvegozu border gate on the Turkish-Syrian border in Hatay province February 11, 2013 (Reuters / Cem Genco / Anadolu Agency)

Four of the nine victims were Turkish, Reyhanli's mayor told CNN Turk. Numerous paramedics were dispatched to the scene, where both Turks and Syrians were reported injured. The death toll could possibly be set to rise.

The Cilvegozu border gate sits opposite the Syrian gate of Bab al-Hawa, which rebels captured last July.

Syrian opposition campaigner Osama Semaan said he believes the explosion was an attack by Assad loyalists in response to an offer of talks from Syrian National Coalition leader Moaz Alkhatib.

"It seems it is a deadly message from the Syrian regime after Sheikh Moaz offered it to talk in northern Syria," he told Reuters.

Meanwhile, there has been some speculation that the explosion was, in fact, a mortar attack. Last October, Syrian mortar landing on Turkish soil prompted six days of retaliatory fire from Turkey.

Damaged cars are seen after an explosion at Cilvegozu border gate on the Turkish-Syrian border in Hatay province February 11, 2013 (Reuters / Cem Genco / Anadolu Agency)

Comments (20)

Anonymous user 21.03.2013 19:21

natsi turky do not pock your eye with your finger ,1day you will shov it somewhere else and stop ..

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Ali Youssef (unregistered) 12.02.2013 12:16

Living (unregistered) wrote in #18
I am sorry to disappoint you, but the story of Michel Samaha being sent by Assad with enough explosives with as a goal to start a sectarian war in Lebanon is not any western propaganda, but it is proven with more than enough evidence and recordings. The people recorded are just too close to Assad, that there is no way to deny it. This is a big trial going on about that in Lebanon. Of course RT does not report anything about it. RT is representing Russia and Russia is probably also involved.Wissam Al-Hassan biggest achievement was exposing the Assad-Samaha plot in Lebanon. This is not just news, but it is a fact and it is proven by enough evidence.

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Living (unregistered) 11.02.2013 23:30

Ali Youssef (unregistered) wrote in #7
Syrian Citizen (unregistered) wrote in #5
Nope, this is a very standard trick from the Iranian-Russian of Syria. They often blew up stuff in Iraq, Syria and Lebanon and blame it on Sunni groups. Although you can always argue that there is not 100% proof that they blow up hariri, even their behavior at the border and inside Lebanon was strange that day. But of course when the Syrian channel was the only channel to show live confession of a Palestinian claiming to be responsible directly after Hariri was blown up things start to look fishy. Recordings the Iraqis have shown of Syrian highest generals discussing in detail the bomb blasts they have performed in Iraq cannot be denied. This year the Lebanese intelligent services arrested Michel Samaha with bombs he got from Assad to blow up the Lebanese Christian Cardinal and create sectarian war in Lebanon have also been proved. There are so many recordings of between Michel Samaha and Assad's most loyal adviser Bout haina Shaaban discussing their sectarian plans in detail. After being exposed like that Assad blow up the head of the Lebanese intelligence service Wissam Al Hassan. Very week. But ok, your sectarian games are finishing one day soon. ----------- -------------------- -------------------- ----You read too much sauid/qatar controlled media, Wissam was blown up because he was investigating the enemies of Lebanon, whom are mostly salafist harrir dogs, and as for the rest of your claim, well, you just showed how gullible and easily manipulated you are.

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