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.