Soldiers foil car bomb attack on military base in Turkey’s Diyarbakır

DİYARBAKIR

DHA photo

Soldiers on May 15 foiled a potential car bomb attack by a civilian shuttle loaded with explosive materials at an air base in the Bağlar district of the southeastern province of Diyarbakır, state-run Anadolu Agency has reported.

Soldiers at the entrance of the 8th Main Jet Base had initially conducted searches of a civilian shuttle belonging to the meteorology regional directorate while attempting to enter the base. During the search they noted that it had pipes underneath holding ammonium nitrate and nails.

Police also arrived at the scene and the road to the base was temporarily blocked.

The shuttle was subsequently taken outside the base and bomb disposal experts destroyed the explosive materials inside two pipes with a detonator.

The vehicle was later taken to the police headquarters for a detailed examination. 

According to officials, the set-up was not completely prepared for an attack but did contain explosive materials used in bomb set-ups. 

One person has also been detained in relation to the incident.

The air base plays a significant role in operations against outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) militants in the country’s eastern and southeastern regions.