Tuesday, May 05, 2009

Turkey: Slaughter in Turkey

Masked assailants with grenades and automatic weapons attacked a wedding party in southeastern Turkey, killing 45 people and wounding at least six others.

Turkish officials said the attack occurred Monday in the village of Bilge about 600 kilometers from Ankara. The wounded were taken to the hospital in the nearby city of Mardin.

Soldiers cut off the roads leading to the village as they searched for the gunmen.

Officials said they were not sure of the motive for the attack, which took place at the wedding of the daughter of a village official. Interior Minister Besir Atalay said there was no apparent link to terrorism.

Turkey's NTV television said the fighting may have involved rival members of state-sponsored militia set up to combat Kurdish separatist guerrillas. Other reports suggested the violence was linked to a clan feud.

Agencies
Published by Mike Hitchen, Mike Hitchen Consulting
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