The roadside bomb attack on a civil shuttle bus transporting military personnel happened in the Halkalı district in the north-west of Istanbul on Monday morning (21 June). Three people died on the spot, two of them special sergeants and the third one the 17-year-old daughter of an army officer on her way to school.

15 people were wounded. Two of them died in hospital, thus the death toll of the attack rose to five.

TAK claims responsibility

The Kurdistan Freedom Falcons (TAK), a wing of the militant Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), claimed responsibility for the bomb attack.

According to the Fırat News Agency (ANF), TAK claimed responsibility for the bomb attack on the convoy of three shuttle busses transporting army personnel in an e-mail signed by TAK spokesman Doğan Baz. It was written that the soldiers were targeted and that the Turkish state is to be hold responsible for the harm of civilians.

The message read, "Our action was planned to be directed at military vehicles. The Turkish security forces have been using civilians as a shield for a long time. The responsibility for the harm of civilians due to our action entirely lies with the Turkish state. We are warning all civilians in Turkey not to enter military premises and vehicles. We will not be responsible for similar situations in the future".

Despite contrary information published by the Doğan News Agency yesterday, nobody has been arrested yet. (BB)