TA-ATTACKS: Bomb Attack on Turkish Governor's Convoy Kills Five

An car bomb attack intended for Turkish governor Hikmet Tan has left five people dead and more than twenty injured. A car parked along his route in the city of Van was rigged with explosives and detonated via remote control as his convoy passed by. Mr. Tan was not injured in the blast.
There has been no claim of responsibility.



Governor Tan told CNN, "I was going to work when there was a large explosion around 9:15am (0615 GMT). All windows were shattered around the car... Nothing happened to me, the bodyguard or driver."

Correspondents say the blast comes amid rising tensions in the area after Kurdish rebels announced they would end a unilateral truce last month.

The BBC says fighting between the rebels, the army and security forces has risen dramatically, despite appeals from Kurdish politicians for peace.

If this turns out to be the Kurds, Iraq and the U.S. will have alot more to worry about than the Saddam on Trial show. Do the Kurds really stand to benefit that much from attacking Turkey, or does Al Qaeda benefit more from a Turk-Kurd conflict?

Related News Stories:
BBC
WashingtonPost.com


[edit on 2-7-2004 by Banshee]

Initial reports say the attacks were the work of Kurdish rebels of the former Kurdistan People's Party (PKK), renamed Kongra-Gel, according to a police spokesman.

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