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Was wedding blast in Gaziantep revenge for IS defeats in Syria?

Some suspect the Aug. 20 suicide bombing of a Kurdish wedding party in southern Turkey was the work of the Islamic State avenging its recent losses in Syria.
Family members and friends of Kumri Ilter, one of the victims of Saturday's suicide bombing at a wedding, attend her funeral ceremony in southeastern city of Gaziantep, Turkey, August 22, 2016. REUTERS/Osman Orsal. - RTX2MK3G
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GAZIANTEP, Turkey — A festive rumble echoed through the mainly Kurdish neighborhood of Beybahce in Gaziantep late on Aug. 20, belying the impending carnage. A “henna night” — a traditional party preceding weddings — was underway in the streets, attended mostly by women and children. Kurdish folk dances were in full swing and the henna ceremony was just to begin when an explosion ended the music. A suicide bomber had blown himself up among the crowd, leaving behind a bloodbath, with torn body parts littering the ground and people screaming for help.

The style and target of the attack pointed to the Islamic State, and Turkish officials soon singled out the jihadist group as the perpetrator.

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