45 die in 'feud' attack on wedding

May 5 2009

Masked assailants with grenades and automatic weapons have attacked a wedding ceremony in south-east Turkey, killing 45 people and wounding six others.

Two girls survived after the bodies of slain friends fell on top of them during the onslaught.

Some reports claimed a "blood feud" among families had led to the killings.

Deputy Governor Ferhat Ozen, of Mardin province, said the nighttime attack occurred in Bilge village, near the city of Mardin. It is a region where tribal ties and rivalries sometimes eclipse the power of the state.

Quoting Mr Ozen, local TV said the motive for the attack could be an old feud between rival groups of pro-government village guards who fight alongside Turkish troops against Kurdish rebels in the region.

If that is the case, the government would come under renewed pressure to rein in the militiamen, some of whom have been linked to drug smuggling and other crimes.

Mehmet Besir Ayanoglu, the mayor of Mardin, said he had spoken to two survivors, both girls, who said at least two masked men had stormed a house where the wedding took place. Other reports put the number of assailants at four.

"They raided the house. We were in two rooms. They opened fire on everyone. They were wearing masks," Mr Ayanoglu quoted the girls as saying. The girls said they lay underneath the bodies of friends until the attack was over. The attack lasted 15 minutes.

Ahmet Can, a relative who took the body of his nephew to a hospital, said the site of the attack was horrifying.

"You could not believe your eyes, it is unbelievable," he said.