Suicide Bomber Blew Himself Up in Sultanahmet Square
Terrorist attack hit Turkey as a suicide bombing killed ten German tourists and wounded more than a dozen civilians in the populous Turkish city of Istanbul.
According to media report, the suicide bomber targeted Sultanahmet Square in Istanbul. The bomber was identified as Saudi-born Nail Fadli who came from Syria.
Turkish authorities blamed the attack on Islamic State (IS) militants.
After the deadly attack, the Turkish authorities announced the arrest of 16 IS militants in the capital of Ankara who were allegedly linked to planning the attacks.
US Condemns the Terrorist Attack
In a press statement in Washington DC, US Spokesperson John Kirby said the United States strongly condemned the terrorist attack on Sultanahmet Square.
“We extend our deepest condolences to the families of those killed, and wish a quick and full recovery to those injured.” – Mr. Kirby
The US government reaffirmed its strong commitment to work with Turkey, a NATO Ally and valued member of the Counter-ISIL Coalition, to combat the shared threat of terrorism.
Extremism in Turkey
The recent terrorist bombing in the country is not the first. In July 2015, a suicide bombing killed at least 30 people. Many speculated the attack was perpetrated by Islamic State militants.
That terror attack took place in the Turkish city of Suruc, near the border with Syria, destroying a cultural centre and wounding more than 100 people.
Although no one has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, many say they think ISIS is responsible.
To cite some more record of recent terrorist attacks, the Kurdish people in southeastern Turkey also experienced their first massive attack by ISIS in May 2013. The Sunni militant group detonated two car bombs in front of government buildings in the border town of Reyhanli. The attack killed 51 people.
US and Turkey On Extremism
The United States of America and Turkey have been collaborating on efforts to counter ISIS and say they are working together to counter terrorism.
The civil war in Syria has put the security situation of Turkey in a volatile state. The Turkish government considers ISIS, the Assad regime and extremist groups spreading terror in Syria as direct threats to its security.
