On August 21 in Turkey, a wedding was destroyed by a suicide bomber…who was aged ’12 to 14′ according to President Recep Tayyib Erdogan. Mr Erdogan said that the IS (Islamic State) was behind the attack, this is yet to be confirmed but is looking more and more likely. The people who initiated the attack, targeted a Kurdish wedding party, in a place called Gaziantep, near the Syrian border, which is known to have several IS cells.
Ned Price, a spokesman for the US National Security Council, said: “We stand with the people of Turkey as they defend their democracy in the face of all forms or terrorism.”17 people were seriously injured in the attack, 69 of them al together, according to the President.
The bomber targeted the wedding guests as they were dancing on the street, how they became aware of the party is unknown to the authorities.
The bomb went off in an area of town where there were many students and which has a large majority of Kurdish citizens. It has also been linked to two suicide bombers.
Gaziantep, the city in which the attack took place, was already very wary of attacks because of the events in Syria, where IS have been battling the Syrian Kurdish Forces.
The choice of the attacker seemed to be of maximum effect: people celebrating the joyous moment of a wedding celebration. If this was an attack by the Islamic State, then it was likely to be a response to the Jihadists’ recent loss of territory in Syria. Syrian Kurdish Forces joined a US-led coalition into drove the terrorists out of their stronghold in Manbij, this indicates that the attack on Gaziantep could be an act of revenge, making the story even more serious.
The attack came as Turkey’s prime minister announces that his government will play a more active part in the Syrian conflict. Understanding that the Turkish-backed rebels are preparing a further offensive approach into the IS-held province of Jarablus and will be granted safe passage across the Turkish border. This attack could have been a warning shot by the Islamic State. According to a report, the couple whose wedding it was, had moved to Gaziantep from the Kurdish town of Siirt further east to escape fighting between Kurdish rebels and security forces.
All in all, this attack was something of a horror, imagine the joy of your wedding day being interrupted by something as scary as a bomb going off, injuring and hurting your loved ones, this is something none of us, unless you have experienced it first hand, can imagine.
My thoughts and prayers are with the people of the city, and my mind is with those who were victimized or even personally hurt by the attack, we hope you get better soon.
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