There was chaos in Suruç after the attacks
Turkish authorities say the Islamic State group was responsible for a suicide bombing in the town of Suruç, on the Syrian frontier, that killed 31 people.
Nearly 100 people were wounded in the attack, which targeted a group of political activists who wanted to help the devastated city of Kobane, which is just across the border from Suruç.
Speaking after the attack, Turkey’s prime minister Ahmet Davutoğlu promised justice would be served: “We are face to face with a terrorism incident. We have the willpower to find and certainly punish those who are responsible.”
Despite there not being an immediate claim of responsibility, senior government officials said Turkey suspected IS was behind the blast as retaliation for Turkey’s steps against the militants.
The explosion took place as the Federation of Socialist Youths was wrapping up a news conference on plans to help rebuild Kobane.
The attack was condemned by countries around the world, including Britain.
Many of the victims were covered by newspapers in the garden of the local cultural centre
Philip Hammond, the foreign secretary, said: “I condemn unreservedly this sickening attack in Suruç, Turkey, which has taken the lives of so many innocent people. My deepest sympathies are with the families of all those affected.
“The UK condemns all acts of terrorism in the strongest terms and will continue to work closely with our Turkish partners on tackling the threat from international and domestic terrorism.”
If confirmed, the bombing would be the most serious IS attack on Turkish soil, although not the first. A female suicide bomber with suspected ties to the group blew herself up in a tourist district of Istanbul in January. A police officer was killed and another wounded in that attack.
The activists’ news conference was being recorded, meaning the attack and its immediate aftermath were captured in video footage that was widely circulated online.
Fatma Edemen said the federation of about 200 youths had been pressing for more access to Kobane to help with reconstruction.
The group was chanting “Long live the resistance of Kobane!” when the explosion tore through the crowd, she said.
The fall of the largely Kurdish town of Kobane was IS’s biggest defeat last year, with its ruins becoming a symbol of Kurdish resistance
