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‘IS 12yrs child bomber’ kills at least 51 at Turkey wedding

People watch the explosion scene on August 21, 2016 in Gaziantep in southeastern Turkey near the Syrian border following a late night attack on a wedding party that left at least 30 dead.

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Over 200 guests piled into a street in the city of Gaziantep in the nation’s Sahinbey district, near the Syrian border, to celebrate the Kurdish street wedding now enfolding when the blast occurred somewhere around 11 p.m. local time say local witnesses. The extremist group, which controls large swathes of territory in Syria, has not claimed responsibility for the bombing.

The brutal terror attack was carried out by a teenager, and initial findings showed it was perpetrated by the Islamic State (IS) group, Erdogan told reporters in Istanbul.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan also said the brutal attack in Gaziantep, near Syria’s border, was most likely the work of Isis but it is not clear why an ordinary wedding was targeted.

The bride and groom – Besna and Nurettin Akdogan – were rushed to hospital but were not seriously wounded.

Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Simsek, interviewed on NTV television, said: “This was a barbaric attack”.

In a statement shared on the official USA embassy in Turkey Twitter account, U.S. ambassador to Turkey John Bass called the bombing a “barbaric attack on innocent civilians” and added that Washington would “continue to work closely together to defeat the common threat of terrorism”.

The attack was the latest in a string of strikes blamed on Kurdish and Islamist militants and follows a deadly botched coup last month. “They will not yield”, he said. “We condemn the traitors who organized and carried out this attack”, he said, vowing that those responsible would be “brought to account”.

Supporters of the pro-Kurdish People’s Democracy Party will be holding a protest against the attack in Istanbul.

Speaking after the Angelus prayer in St Peter’s Square, Francis said, “sad news has reached me about the bloody attack”.

Gulser Ates, who was wounded in the attack, told the Hurriyet the attack took place as the party was breaking up.

“Profound sympathies and condolences were extended to the brotherly people and Government of Turkey”, the statement said.

Police sealed off the site of the explosion and forensic teams moved in. Hundreds of residents gathered near the site chanting “Allah is great” as well as slogans denouncing attacks.

The pope called on faithful to pray for the victims while Chancellor Angela Merkel condemned the “cowardly and underhand” attack “in the strongest terms”.

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“I assure you that the German government will continue to stand closely at Turkey’s side in the fight against terrorism”, she added.

30 killed in Turkey wedding blast, Erdogan blames ISIS