22 killed in blast in Turkey

Ankara: A blast occurred near a wedding hall in Sahinbey District of Turkish province of Gaziantep on Saturday night, killing at least 22 people and injuring 94 others, Gaziantep Governor's Office confirmed on early Sunday.

Samil Tayyar, deputy of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), said on twitter that the attack was carried out by Islamic State, Xinhua news agency reported.

Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Simsek said that the explosion may have been caused by a suicide attack, adding that the death toll might be higher than reported.

Ambulances and police were dispatched to the area following the attack.

Local media reported that the blast occurred at 22:40 local time (1940 GMT) in a mainly Kurdish-inhabited neighbourhood of the city, while local reporters and officials said that the family hosting the wedding is from eastern Turkey.