Ankara blast kills 6, injures 100May 23, 2007 - 14:22 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The number of injured in a bomb blast at a shopping mall in Turkey's capital Ankara on Tuesday has risen to 100, authorities said on Wednesday, while police searched for clues as to who was behind the attack."We have seen a vicious, ruthless terror attack at Ankara's busiest time," said Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who was visiting the scene. The blast occurred during evening rush hour at the entrance to a shopping center in the district of Ulus. A Pakistan national was among the dead. The area has been cordoned off and an investigation has begun. Unconfirmed reports suggest an explosive device may have been left at a nearby bus stop. Much of the front of one building was ripped off by the blast at the Anafartalar shopping center. TV footage showed several people lying seriously injured on the pavement surrounded by piles of concrete and glass. Other people, possibly passers-by, were hurt by flying glass. Turkey has been hit by bombings in recent years. Some have been blamed on Kurds and others on Islamic militants. In November 2003, more than 60 people were killed by a series of suicide bombings in Istanbul which the authorities linked to al-Qaeda. Kurdish rebels carried out a spate of attacks on tourist sites in Turkey last year, killing more than a dozen people, BBC reports. Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Czech-Armenian military cooperation discussed in Yerevan A delegation led by the Director General for the Industrial Cooperation Division of the Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic visited Armenia. U.S. welcomes efforts to define Armenia-Azerbaijan border The United States welcomes efforts to define the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, says Vedant Patel. Biden honors resilience of Armenian people on April 24 U.S. President Joe Biden has issued a statement on the 109th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. Ex-Karabakh leader moved to solitary confinement cell in Baku, his son says David Vardanyan is the son of former Karabakh leader Ruben Vardanyan who who is currently imprisoned in Azerbaijan. |