A suspected suicide bombing in Turkey has targeted a wedding ceremony in Gaziantep, killing at least 30 people and injuring almost 100. Authorities have temporarily halted media coverage of the “barbaric” attack in the southern city near the Syrian border.
“A suicide bomber blew himself up” in a neighborhood where a massive outdoor wedding was taking place, according to reports on social media.
Turkish national broadcaster NTV confirmed the news, saying a “terrorist attack” had targeted an outdoor wedding celebration.
At least 30 people were killed and 94 injured in the alleged terrorist attack, according to the governor's office.
While there was no immediate claim of responsibility, a parliamentary deputy from the ruling AK Party, Samil Tayyar, said that Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) terrorists were believed to be behind the blast.
Numerous ambulances have been dispatched to the area. According to scarce media reports, the injured, which include children, have been taken to at least four hospitals in the city, and blood donations are urgently needed to save their lives.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has condemned the shocking attack in the mostly Kurdish-populated city and wished a quick recovery to those injured.
Erdogan used a chance to reiterate that "there is no difference between Daesh [Islamic State], the likely perpetrator of the Gaziantep attack," the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and the suspected mastermind of the failed military coup Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen.
“The aim of terror is to scare the people but we will not allow this,” said Turkish Deputy Prime Minister and Gaziantep’s representative in the Turkish parliament Mehmet Simsek, adding “it is barbaric to attack a wedding,” as cited by AFP.
Prior to the attack, the governorship of the province declared a 15-day special security zone near the border with Syria. The decision to invoke extra security measures followed a recent Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) rocket attack that came from the Syrian side of the border, striking a Turkish town called Karkamış in Gaziantep Province. Special security zones allow authorities to search all types of border traffic in the area.
In the meantime, Turkish media authorities (RTUK) have temporarily suspended the broadcast of information regarding the deadly blast, citing national security concerns. In making the announcement, the government watchdog said that the measures had been introduced in order to avoid spreading “fear in the community which could create panic and chaos.” It also noted that publications defying the order could “serve the purpose of terrorist organizations” responsible for the blast.
Broadcasters are banned from showing scenes from the moment of the explosion, scenes after the explosion, and first responders and public officials working at the scene. Showing scenes of the injured or the dead are also prohibited.