ISIS had boastfully announced its child recruits for its “Cubs of the Caliphate” brigades, by publishing images and videos on social media of children receiving training and indoctrination, and carrying out bombings or executions. The BBC adds that a celebration of “henna night”, which is “attended mainly by women and children”, was also in progress, and helped to account for the large number of child victims.
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“We are not in a position to verify anything about who the perpetrator was – if it was a child, an adult, or for which organisation”, Yildirim told reporters in Ankara on Monday (22 August).
The bomber has not yet been identified.
But the officials said it appears to be the work of the Islamic State of Iraq and (ISIS) accusing it of trying to destabilize the country by exploiting ethnic and religious tensions. One previous year in Ankara killed 100 people.
The rebels, groups fighting under the banner of the Free Syrian Army, are expected to attack Jarablus from inside Turkey in the next few days. They remain at large.
The devastated bride and groom, who survived the wedding attack, somberly welcomed Cavusolgu’s promise. The party was sharply critical of Erdogan’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) following the attack.
A senior security official said the device used was the same type as those employed in the July 2015 suicide attack in the border town of Suruc and the October 2015 suicide bombing of a rally of pro-Kurdish activists in Ankara.
The Turkish military carried out a handful of artillery strikes today against the ISIS city of Jarabulus, and many more strikes against the Kurdish forces further south, in the city of Manbij which they recently took from ISIS.
ISIS, which has struck before in Gaziantep and reportedly has a strong presence in the city, traditionally hasn’t claimed responsibility for attacks on Turkish soil.
Erdogan also accused the HDP of links to the PKK, something the party staunchly denies.
Gaziantep, near the Syrian border, is known to contain several IS cells.
This question, along with the thorny issue of US-based preacher Fethullah Gulen, blamed by Turkey for last month’s failed coup, will be on the table when American Vice President Joe Biden visits Ankara for talks on Wednesday.
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In addition to attacks on Kurds in Turkey and tourists in Istanbul, Daesh also was blamed for the June assault on the country’s main Ataturk worldwide airport, killing more than 40 people.
