Blast hits near Christian cathedral in Cairo, 25 killed, 35 wounded – Egyptian state TV
Published time: 11 Dec, 2016 09:31
Edited time: 11 Dec, 2016 12:26
At least 25 people have been killed, and 35 others injured in an explosion near Cairo’s Coptic Christian Cathedral, AP reports citing Egyptian state TV. No one has claimed responsibility for the blast yet.
The bomb was reportedly placed in a female handbag in a seat in the back of the church, and the explosion hit the section where female worshipers mainly stood, which is why the majority of the victims are women, Egyptian reporter for The Washington Post, Heba Farouk Mahfouz, posted on Twitter.
More:
https://www.rt.com/news/369924-cairo-coptic-blast-cathedral/
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38 killed, 155 wounded in twin bombings in Istanbul: Interior minister
Some 38 people were killed and another 155 were wounded on Dec. 10 when a double bombing hit central Istanbul near Beşiktaş’s Vodafone Arena Stadium.
Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu said seven civilians are among the dead, while 30 others are police officers and one of the victims has yet to be identified.
Thirteen suspects have been detained in connection to the attack, Soylu added.
Health Minister Recep Akdağ said 14 of the 155 wounded are in intensive care.
Meanwhile, the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) expressed condolences to the relatives of the victims, vowing that the fight against terrorism would continue “until the last terrorist is neutralized.”
In addition, the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) announced that planned matches would go ahead, Doğan News Agency reported.
“A day of morning has been declared for the police officers and civillians killed in the twin bombings after the match between Beşiktaş and Bursaspor. One minute’s silence will be observed and flags will be lowered to half-mast before all matches in professional and amateur leagues on Dec. 10 and Dec. 11,” it stated.
The first explosion came from a moving car that directly targeted riot police near the stadium, Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmuş said in a press conference early on Dec. 11.
The second attack came 45 seconds after the first one when a suicide bomber detonated explosives at Maçka Park just across from the stadium, Kurtulmuş said.
Beşiktas has announced that one of the civilians killed was a staff member at the Beşiktaş store while the other was a congress member and a police officer.
The huge blasts occurred at around 10:20 p.m., around 90 minutes after a match between Beşiktaş and Bursaspor ended at the nearby ground. It was heard on both sides of the Bosphorus.
Following the attack, Bursaspor stated on its official Twitter account that there were no injuries among its supporters.
Beşiktaş also condemned the attack in a statement issued on its website, as did the Turkish Football Federation (TFF), Fenerbahçe, Galatasaray and Trabzonspor.
A number of ambulances were immediately dispatched to the scene as eyewitnesses reported the sound of gunfire after the explosions, although the lack of hospitals in the Taksim area meant most of the wounded had to be taken to Şişli Etfal Hospital or other medical centers in the area.
Security forces later detonated a suspicious car near the scene in a controlled explosion early on Dec. 11, Doğan News Agency reported.
The prime minister was immediately briefed about the attack by Soylu and Istanbul Gov. Vasip Şahin.
Presidential sources also said Erdoğan was at Tarabya Palace by the Bosphorus in Istanbul and that he was also briefed by officials.
Meanwhile, Turkey’s media watchdog, the Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK), announced a gag order on reporting the attack.
A total of six prosecutors were assigned to investigate the attack.
Source:
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/38-killed-155-wounded-in-twin-bombings-in-istanbul-interior-minister.aspx?pageID=238&nID=107142&NewsCatID=341
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IZAKOVIC
