Turkey's Explosions: Kurdish Rebels or Islamic State Group militants To Blame, Say Turkey PM

by Benson Agoha | International

Marchers participating in a peace rally in Ankara, the Turkish capital scampered for safety after a near simultaneous explosions as they held hands in a circular formation and sang. Many carried poster boards and flags.

* Protesters in Ankara before the blasts. (Credit: via BBC).

The explosions were just 50 meters (yards) apart and occurred just after 10 a.m. as a line of protesters near Ankara's train station, chanting and performing a traditional dance with their hands locked when a large explosion went off behind them.

It seemed all set to get well at a city centre, but moments into the rally an explosion rocked the back side in what seemed like that a road side plant under a tree. And the participants ran for safety.

By the times emergency services arrived, bodies were littered everywhere, with bloodied flags and banners brought for the rally. Some of the dead bodies were shirtless, one looked like his head was blown off. There was no immediate claim of responsibility to the explosions.

Authorities responded to the separate bombings promptly, initially confirming 86 dead bodies and 186 injured persons. The casualty figure was later upgraded to more than 100 persons dead and many more injured.

The peace rally was calling for an end to violence between Kurdish rebels and Turkish security forces.

* The aftermath: flags litter the scene after the blast.
(Credit: via BBC).

A Fox news report, quoting Turkish PM Ahmet Davutoglu said "..there were "strong signs" that the two explosions...were suicide bombings."

He also suggested that Kurdish rebels or Islamic State group militants were to blame.

The two explosions occurred seconds apart outside the capital's main train station as hundreds of opposition supporters and Kurdish activists gathered for the peace rally organized by Turkey's public workers' union and other groups.

Reports say the protesters planned to call for increased democracy in Turkey and an end to the renewed violence between Kurdish rebels and Turkish security forces.

* With Lead and photos from Fox News and BBC.