ISTANBUL, Turkey – November 14 (ONLINE) Turk authorities on Monday claimed to have grabbed the main suspect of bomb attack that killed six people and injured 81 on Istanbul’s famous Istiklal Avenue.
On Sunday, a planted bomb attack at Istiklal Avenue killed six and injured 81. A day later, Turkish authorities claimed they had detained dozens of suspects, including the prime suspect who is believed to have planted the bomb.
According to Turkish authorities, prime suspect was identified as 23-year-old Syrian national Ahlam Albashir, said she had taken orders from the PKK/YPG terrorist organisation’s headquarters in Ayn al Arab in northern Syria, the Istanbul General Security Directorate said in a statement on Monday.
The suspect admitted during interrogation that she entered Türkiye illegally from Syria’s Afrin, police said.
She also said she was trained by the PYD/YPG in Syria.
A total of 46 suspects were detained after police carried out operations at 21 addresses after inspecting footage from 1,200 security cameras, police said in a statement released on Twitter.
“If we had not caught the perpetrators [of the bomb attack in Istanbul], they would have fled to Greece today,” Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said in a separate statement.
Soylu also said that Türkiye “rejected” the US’ condolence message, saying it was akin to a “killer being first to show up at a crime scene,” referring to Washington’s support, training and arming of the terrorist group in Syria.
The PYD/YPG is the Syrian branch of the PKK, which is recognised as a terrorist organisation by Türkiye, the US and EU.
Follow the PNI Facebook page for the latest news and updates.
