Dozens killed after deadly bomb on Turkey-Syria border

Photo credit: Newspoint

Two car bombs went off 15 minutes apart in the Turkish town of Reyhanli on Saturday afternoon, Muammer Guler told Turkey’s NTV television. Of the 100 injured, 29 are reportedly in a critical condition.

Amateur video footage showed people injured in the blast being pulled from building rubble covered in blood. At least 15 ambulances were at the scene.

Tens of thousands of Syrian refugees have crossed the border to the town, fleeing the civil war in their own country.

The blasts raised fears that Syria‘s brutal violence was spilling over into its neighbour, but no-one has yet taken responsibility for the attack.

Turkey’s prime minister has not ruled out that it could be related to peace talks with Kurdish rebels.

But Turkey’s Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc said that President Bashar al-Assad‘s intelligence and military were the “usual suspects” behind the car bombs. If Syria is behind the attack, the explosion will mark the most deadly attack related to Syria so far.

Turkey, which shares a more than 500-mile border with Syria, has been a crucial supporter of the Syrian rebel cause and Ankara has allowed its territory to be used as a logistics base and staging centre for Syrian insurgents.

Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc said he understood that Syrian refugees have become a target for the regime, making places like Reyhanli danger zones.

He said he would “do whatever is necessary” if it is proven that Syria is behind the attack.