Ankara bomb attack: 30 killed, 126 injured in twin blasts in Turkey's capital, says interior minister

Ankara: Turkey’s Interior Ministry says two bomb explosions apparently targeting a peace rally in the capital Ankara has killed 30 people and injured 126 others. The ministry said the explosions occurred as demonstrators were starting to gather for the rally Saturday. It condemned the attack which it said “targets Turkey’s democracy and peace.” [caption id=“attachment_2463584” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] A women is given CPR following an explosion at the main train station in Turkey’s capital Ankara, on Saturday. AFP[/caption] The explosions occurred minutes apart near Ankara’s train station as people gathered for the rally organized by the country’s public sector workers’ trade union. The rally aimed to call for an end to the renewed violence between Kurdish rebels and Turkish security forces. It was not clear if the attacks were suicide bombings. The attack comes weeks before Turkey’s 1 November elections. The explosions occurred minutes apart near Ankara’s train station as people gathered for the rally organised by the country’s public sector workers’ trade union. The rally aimed to call for an end to the renewed violence between Kurdish rebels and Turkish security forces. Television footage from Turkey’s Dogan news agency showed several people lying injured on the streets or being taken into ambulances. “There was a massacre in the middle of Ankara,” said Lami Ozgen, head of the Confederation of Public Sector Trade Unions, or KESK. “Two bombs exploded in very short intervals.” There was no immediate responsibility claim. A government official said authorities were investigating the blast. Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu called an emergency security meeting to discuss the attack. In July, a suicide bombing blamed on the Islamic State group killed 33 people in a town near Turkey’s border with Syria. AP