2013 Reyhanlı car bombings
The 2013 Reyhanlı car bombings took place on 11 May 2013, when two car bombs exploded in the Turkish town of Reyhanlı, a town of 64,000 people, 5 km from the Syrian border and the busiest land border post with Syria, in Hatay Province, Turkey. At least 52 people were killed and 140 injured in the attack.
| 2013 Reyhanlı car bombings | |
|---|---|
| Location | Reyhanlı, Hatay Province, Turkey |
| Coordinates | 36°16′09″N 36°34′02″E |
| Date | 11 May 2013 13:45 (EEST) |
Attack type | Dual car bombings |
| Deaths | 52 |
| Injured | 140 |
| Accused | Syrian Resistance (per Turkish government) |
Turkish authorities accused the government of Syria of being behind the bombings, and within two weeks had charged 12 Turkish nationals who it said were backed by the Syrian government. The state-run Anadolu news agency reported that in February 2018, a Turkish court sentenced nine suspects to life imprisonment and 13 other people to prison terms of 10 to 15 years for the bombings; and that in September 2018 another suspect was captured in Syria and brought to Turkey by Turkish intelligence.
The Syrian government denied responsibility for the attacks. Other groups proposed as culprits include al-Nusra Front, the Islamic State, and Syrian Resistance.
Following the bombings, hundreds of Syrians fled Reyhanli, and some residents blamed the Turkish government for bringing the Syrian Civil War to the town.