Turkey releases 2 suspects held for Izmir attack

IZMIR, Turkey

Two people held in connection with Thursday's gun-and-bomb terrorist attack in western Izmir province were released on Friday, according to a police source.

The two suspects were released early morning in Izmir, the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on talking to the media, said.

Thursday’s attack occurred just outside a courthouse when police officer Fethi Sekin stopped a suspicious vehicle, which turned out to be carrying explosives.

The ensuing clash and a car-bomb attack left Sekin and a court official martyred and five others injured as a bigger blast involving another vehicle was thwarted, according to Governor Erol Ayyildiz.

Turkey has suffered several terrorist attacks over the last month. On Dec. 10, a twin bomb attack in Istanbul by the PKK terrorist group left 46 people -- mostly police officers – martyred.

A week later, a suicide car bomb attack by the PKK hit a public bus in the central Anatolian city of Kayseri, martyring 14 soldiers.

On Jan. 1, an armed attack on a nightclub in Istanbul during the New Year celebrations martyred 39 people.

Reporting by Mustafa Yildirim; Writing by Fatma Bulbul