TAK Claims Responsibility for İzmir Attack
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The Kurdistan Freedom Falcons (TAK) has claimed responsibility for the car bomb attack launched in front of İzmir Courthouse Door C on January 5.
Traffic police Fethi Sekin and beadle Musa Can had lost their lives in the car bomb attack.
Two assailants were killed following the incident.
According to a report by Fırat News Agency (ANF) today (January 11), identities of the two assailants were announced: Born in 1987 in Maraş, Mustafa Çoban codenamed Zerdeşt Rüstem Erdal and born in 1991 in Ağrı, Enes Yıldırım codenamed Pirdoğan Ararat.
What had happened?
Police officer Sekin had clashed with the assailants running away after the bomb-laden vehicle, which Sekin prevented from entering parking lot, exploded in front of İzmir Courthouse Door C. He shot one of the assailants at close range. Trying to get away from the scene after he ran out of bullets, he was shot by the other assailant.
Beadle Can was bringing documents to Heavy Penal Court Front Bar located on ground floor in Bloc C. On his return to Bloc D located on the third floor, he looked down on the window upon gunshots and was hit in the head.
They both had three children.
Following the attack, İzmir Governor Erol Ayyıldız had declared that they thought it was the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) that launched the attack.
Ttwo kalashnikovs, eight RPG-7 cartridges and eight hand grenades were found on the two assailants, which caused suspicion that a bigger attack had been planned, added the Governor.
TAK's attacks
- TAK had claimed responsibility for the explosions at apron in İstanbul Sabiha Gökçen Airport on December 23, 2015. TAK had announced it as the end of their inaction they started in 2011.
- TAK had claimed responsibility for the following attacks it launched earlier:
- Bomb attacks on van carrying tourists in Kuşadası province of Aydın, which left five tourists and one police officer dead, and 34 people wounded on July 17, 2005.
- The explosion in Anafartalar bazaar in Ulus district of Ankara which killed seven people, and wounded 102 on May 23, 2007.
- Explosion in Bakırköy district of İstanbul which wounded 31 people on June 10, 2007.
- Bomb attack which left 15 police officers wounded in Küçükçekmece district of İstanbul on June 8, 2007.
- Explosion that occurred during passage of shuttle carrying military staff near military housing in Halkalı district of İstanbul on June 22, 2010.
- Attack on Konyaaltı beach in Antalya on August 26, 2011 and the attack on Kemer public beach leaving 6 wounded on August 28.
- Bomb attack which left three people dead, 34 others wounded in Kızılay district of Ankara on September 20, 2011.
- The attack launched against military vehicle killing 28 on Merasim street in Ankara on February 17, 2016.
- The attack launched in Kızılay, the Ankara's one of most crowded district claiming lives of 37 on March 13, 2016.
- The bomb attack carried out against police bus killing 11 people including six police officers in İstanbul's Vezneciler district on June 7, 2016.
- The attack that took place at the western door of Grand Mosque in Bursa wounding 20 people on April 28, 2016.
- The attack that wounded 10 people in İstanbul's Bahçelievler district on October 6, 2016.
- The bomb attack in which 11 people including two police officers had lost their lives launched near outbuilding of Anti-Terror and Riot Squad branch directorates in Diyarbakır's Bağlar district on November 4. (Reuters had announced that ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack)
- On November 24, the TAK claimed responsibility for the attack killing two people, wounding 33 others.
- On December 10, The TAK claimed responsibility for the twin bombings around Vodafone Arena Stadium killing 44 people including 36 police officers.
- The group claimed responsibility for the attack launched on municipality bus in which 15 soldiers were killed and 55 people wounded in Kayseri on December 17. (AS/TK)