LIVE FROM IZMIR: Terrorists Strike Third Largest City in Turkey; 2 Dead, 6 Wounded

PJ Media‘s own Michael van der Galien reports live from Izmir, Turkey.

Three terrorists have struck in Izmir, the third largest city in Turkey, with a population of 3 to 4 million. They used a car bomb and Kalashnikovs. According to the authorities, two terrorists were shot, but a third terrorist was able to flee the scene. A manhunt is currently underway, according to Turkish media.

Turkey continues to be rocked by one terror attack after another. On New Year’s Day, ISIS struck in Istanbul, the country’s largest city. Thirty-nine partygoers were killed and dozens more were wounded in that attack. The terrorist responsible for the massacre is still on the run.

Two terrorists were shot by the police. 

This afternoon local time, my own city of Izmir was rocked by an attack at a courthouse in the neighborhood of Bayrakli. A car bomb exploded and up to three terrorists opened fire. From the looks of it, it seems like they tried to park the car next to the courthouse but were stopped by the police who had established a perimeter around the building. When they were stopped, the terrorists apparently attacked. The car bomb went off and they exchanged fire with the police.

Two terrorists were shot by the police.

Two of the three terrorists were killed by the police. One of them, according to Turkish authorities and media, is on the run. There’s currently a manhunt underway to get him. As far as we know right now, at least two other people were killed in the terror attack: one police officer and one courthouse worker.

According to Izmir’s governor, it’s likely that the PKK is behind the attack. He bases this conclusion on the IDs of the terrorists. As usual in Turkey these days, there are two options: ISIS or the PKK. The target — a courthouse — and the photos of the terrorists give me the impression that the governor is right, and that this is indeed an attack staged by the Marxist-Leninist terrorists of the PKK. If that proves anything, it’s that Westerners who advocate tolerating the PKK because they’re fighting ISIS in Syria couldn’t be more wrong. A terrorist is a terrorist. You can’t tolerate any of them. They all have to be wiped off the face of the earth.

Of course that doesn’t mean that ISIS is definitely not behind it. We need more information to draw definite conclusions, but I’d put my money on the PKK right now.