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Turkey: Islamic State behind attack that killed 2 policemen

Police in Ankara carried out anti-terror operations the night before and detained four suspected IS members allegedly planning to attack May Day demonstrators.

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In the latest strikes on Kilis yesterday, one person was killed and two wounded when Katyusha-type rockets hit an inhabited area in the town, the Dogan news agency reported.

Although no groups have claimed responsibility the incident in Gaziantep has been linked to the Islamic State.

“We have records of the suspect’s links with Islamic State”.

The town of Gaziantep lies near Turkey’s border with Syria, and is a major hub for Syrians who have fled the war in their country.

In the Turkish city of Gaziantep, security sources said that a auto bomb targeted the main police station, resulting in the death of two policemen and injury of 23 others.

Security and forensic officials and medics investigate around the remains of a vehicle after an explosion outside a police station in Gaziantep, Turkey, Sunday, May 1, 2016.

The governor’s office statement did not say which group could be to blame.

The news agency said the Turkish military retaliated by firing at IS targets across the border in Syria, killing nine militants.

The bombing is thought to be the work of Islamic State militants.

Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus said Monday that Turkish security forces had prevented 85 terror attacks, 49 of which were suicide bombing attempts since January, Daily Sabah reports.

Gaziantep, which borders Islamic State-held Syrian territory, is home to a large Syrian refugee population and there have been several police raids on suspected Islamic State militants there over the past months.

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In the past year, Turkey has also witnessed suicide bombings linked to Islamic State as well as attacks linked to Kurdish militants.

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