Turkish Police Defuse Van Bomb in Ankara

It was confirmed on the 11^th September 2007 that Turkish police in the capital, Ankara, stopped the potential explosion of a large bomb. The news came from Governor Kemal Onal - six years to the day since 9/11 - the bin Laden-led attack on the Twin Towers and the Pentagon.

In Turkey, a van was discovered in the centre of Ankara, parked up in a multi-storey parking complex. Sniffer dogs alerted authorities there to the presence of explosives in this van. Subsequently, the police bomb squad successfully defused them, before which, neighbouring businesses and houses had been evacuated - pending a disaster. According to Gov. Onal: "The meticulous work of the police averted a possible catastrophe." He added: "I do not even want to think about what would have happened if the attack had succeeded."

Terrorist acts are, sadly, not unfamiliar in this part of the world. In 2003, bomb attacks were made on Istanbul - specifically on the British Consulate there, as well as synagogues and a bank. The blasts killed in excess of 60 people.

More recently, a suicide bomb, which has been attributed to Kurdish militants, claimed the lives of six people. This also took place in Ankara, four months ago.

Security had been increased for today, in line with the 9/11 anniversary. As per Mr Onal, the alert to the explosive-laden van followed an earlier incident, in which police thwarted a potential bomb attack after defusing a bomb attached to the underside of a bus.

Elsewhere in Europe, as reported in a separate Security International News Item, police in Germany were drawn to the USAF base of Spangdahlem, after a bomb threat was made by telephone. The caller is understood to have been of Turkish or Russian origin, but spoke in German.

Security International will continue to provide unrivalled coverage of the very latest security events across the globe, especially in relation to the 9/11 six year anniversary.

Source - Security International's European Reporter

Recent related News Items:

Bomb Threat Terror Fears for German USAF Base

US Faces Continued "Persistent Threat" 6yrs After 9/11