AS IT IS 2016-01-13 Terror Rips Open Historic Istanbul Square
时间：2019-01-12 作者：英语课 分类：2016年VOA慢速英语(一)月
AS IT IS 2016-01-13 Terror Rips Open Historic Istanbul Square
An explosion in the historic square of Sultanahmet in Istanbul left at least 10 people dead and wounded 15 others Tuesday.
“We heard a really big explosion. … I didn’t really understand what was happening,” said Ali Hakan Ataman to VOA News. “Blood and flesh were splattered on us and I am sure I saw at least six or seven people laying on the ground dead. I am still in shock.”
Officials said they suspect a Syrian suicide bomber 1 detonated the explosion. They said they believe the suicide bomber had ties to the terror group Islamic State, according to Reuters.
The Turkish government has been attacked by Islamist and Kurdish militants 2 in the past months. The Sultanahmet attack took place while government security forces crack down on the Kurdish rebel group, the PKK.
Ataman said he thought German tourists were among the victims.
Another witness, Erdogan Salihli, said the explosion was huge.
“All the buildings around were shaking, and it was very strong and threw people off the ground,” he said. Panic and fear ensued.
“All was quiet for a second or a bit longer. I’ve never seen an explosion in this magnitude. As people were trying to figure out what really happened, the cries of people at the scene was very tragic 3.”
Words in This Story
splattered – v. to move, fall, or hit something in large drops
detonated – v. to explode or to cause to explode
ensued – v. to come at a later time
magnitude – n. the size, extent, or importance of something
- He flew a bomber during the war.他在战时驾驶轰炸机。
- Detectives hunting the London bombers will be keen to interview him.追查伦敦爆炸案凶犯的侦探们急于对他进行讯问。
- The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
- Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。