Car blast at border gate kills 14, three suspects spotted, minister says

ISTANBUL

The car was seen on security cameras seconds before the blast. AA Photo

The death toll in an explosion at the Cilvegözü border gate on the Turkish-Syrian border increased to 14 while three suspects, including one woman, were seen in video footage of the car blast Feb. 11, the interior minister, Muammer Güler, said today.

Güler told reporters that the death toll increased to 14 today. He also said the terrorist was “probably a Syrian national,” referring to terrorism for the first time since the incident took place.

Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç said yesterday that three people killed in the blast that took place in the southern province of Hatay’s Reyhanlı district were Turks.

The car that exploded came from the Syrian side and three people had left the car parked near the border gate before the blast, said Deputy Prime Minister Beşir Atalay today.

Atalay told reporters that the explosion happened as humanitarian aid was being loaded and the area was crowded.

“A car with Syrian plates comes and waits there for a while. There are three people in the car. They leave the car. Approximately 20 minutes later, the car, laden with explosives, is made to explode. We have seriously wounded people. … We have video footage. Both prosecutors and the police are working on [the case],” Atalay said.