Five leads pointing to ISIL as prime suspect of Ankara bombings

ISTANBUL

1. The bombs

In the bombings, 10-kg cluster bombs were detonated. Authorities believe a hand grenade could have been used rather than a remote-controlled detonator. 

An official speaking to Reuters pointed out the similarities between the Ankara blasts and the July 20 Suruç bombing that killed 33. 

“This attack is very similar to Suruç, indeed, all signs show this is its replica,” the source reportedly said. 




2. ‘Two suicide bombers’

Some eyewitnesses recall having spotted a suicide bomber with a backpack and a carry-on. 

According to reports by some dailies, three unidentified bodies were recovered, two of which could belong to the suicide bombers. The vaccination marks on both bodies are seen as indicators that the bombers are Turkish. 

ISIL often conducts terror attacks using suicide bombers. 




3. Missing ISIL member

Police reached the families of 16 ISIL members on the run, who are believed to be capable of being suicide bombers. DNA samples were taken from their families in order to be compared with samples from 12 unidentified bodies retrieved from the crime scene. 

Sources indicate one of the attackers could be Yunus Emre Alagöz, the missing brother of ISIL member Sheikh Abdurrahman Alagöz who was responsible for the deadly Suruç bombing. 




4. "Dokumacılar group"

The focus of security forces on ISIL members organizing in Turkey’s southeastern Adıyaman province has drawn attention to the radical Islamist “Dokumacılar” group that recruits jihadists for ISIL. 

Yunus Emre Alagöz, a leading suspect of the attack, is also a member of the Dokumacılar group in Adıyaman.




5. Orders from Raqqa

According to a news story published by Turkish daily Milliyet, the Turkish National Police sent a written warning to its units in August, warning on the possibility of bomb attacks in four Turkish cities.

Allegedly, ISIL’s “governor of Mosul” held a meeting in Raqqa, where he announced a decision to carry out bomb attacks in four cities across Turkey. 

Although the warning fell short of indicating the cities’ names, it stated an ISIL member codenamed “Abu Riyad” was tasked with assassinating senior members of the gendarmerie or the army.