Turkey: Child bomber kills 51

At least 51 were killed late on Saturday when a suicide bomber, aged between 12 and 14, attacked guests dancing on the street at a wedding in the Turkish city of Gaziantep near the Syrian border, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday.

The attack was the deadliest in a series of bombings in Turkey this year, and Mr Erdogan said the Islamic State was likely behind it.

“Initial evidence suggests it was a Daesh attack,” he added, using the Arabic name for ISIS, during a visit to Gaziantep after the attack. He said 69 people were in hospital and 17 were “heavily injured”.

The wedding was for a member of the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party, it said, and the groom was among those injured. The bride was not hurt, official said.

Celebrations were ending at the henna nightand the bomb went off when some families had already left, witnesses said.

“There was blood and body parts everywhere,” said 25-year-old Veli Can.

“We want to end these massacres,” witness Ibrahim Ozdemir said, adding, “We are in pain, especially the women and children.”

Turkey faces multiple security threats from militants at home and from Syria. Just last month, Mr Erdogan and the government survived an attempted coup by military officers.