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Sunday, March 13, 2016

Ankara Car Bombing Kills At Least 34 People

Firefighters extinguishing a burning car after a blast in Ankara.
At least 34 people have been killed and 125 wounded - 19 seriously - in a car bombing in Turkey's capital, the country's security officials have said.
The explosion happened in the centre of Ankara around 6.45pm local time, according to the authorities.
"The blast was caused by a vehicle packed with explosives close to Kizilay square," a statement said. 
Kizilay is a main shopping and transport hub close to the city's embassy area.
AnkaraAnkara
The car bomb exploded close to a bus and caused several vehicles to catch fire.
The windows of shops that line the busy square were shattered in the blast.
Dogan Asik, 28, told the Associated Press he was on a bus when the explosion happened.
"We were thrown further back into the bus from the force of the explosion," said Mr Asik, who sustained injuries on his face and arm.
Police sealed off the area and pushed onlookers back, warning there could be a second explosion.
Ankara is the capital of Turkey
There has been no immediate claim of responsibility and Turkey's pro-Kurdish party The Peoples' Democratic Party, HDP, issued a statement condemning the attack, saying it shares "the huge pain felt along with our citizens".
This is significant because the party is often accused of being a wing of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK - an accusation it denies.
Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has called an emergency security meeting.
A court in Ankara ordered a ban on access to Facebook, Twitter and other sites in Turkey after images from the blast scene were shared on social media.
Last year, the authorities blocked access to Twitter over the sharing of photographs of a prosecutor being held at gunpoint by far-left militants.
The attack comes just weeks after at least 28 people were killed in another car bombing in the city.
Kurdish militants claimed responsibility for that attack.

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