Turkey blast toll mounts to 95

At least 95 people were killed in Ankara when bombs set off by two suspected suicide attackers ripped through a crowd of leftist and pro-Kurdish activists at a peace rally, in the deadliest such attack in Turkey’s recent history. The twin blasts that occurred on Saturday, near Ankara’s main train station, ratcheted up tensions ahead of Turkey’s November 1 snap elections which were already soaring amid the government’s offensive on Kurdish militants.

Bodies of slain demonstrators were seen strewn across the ground after the explosions, with the banners they had been holding for the “Work, Peace and Democracy” march lying next to them.The attack also left 246 wounded, 48 of whom are in intensive care, according to an updated toll announced by Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu’s office. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan denounced what he called a “heinous attack” targeting “our unity and our country’s peace”.

Declaring three days of mourning, Davutoglu said there were “strong signs” the attack was carried out by two suicide bombers.