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Official: Loud Blast in Southern Turkey May Have Been Military Jets


A loud blast heard in Gaziantep, in southeastern Turkey near the Syrian border, may have been caused by jets taking part in Turkish military efforts in nearby northern Syria, Turkish officials said late Friday.

Police and firefighting teams investigated the sound, according to Turkey's Anadolu news agency.

The Gaziantep Province governor's office released a statement that said the incident caused no injuries, deaths or property damage.

"This sound could have been caused by warplanes involved in the Euphrates Shield operation going over the usual noise limit. We will give further details later," the governor said.

Tensions are high in Gaziantep. The area borders Syria where Turkish troops have taken part in military efforts to push Islamic State (IS) militants and Kurdish militia from the region.

Gaziantep is also where more than 50 people were killed at a Kurdish wedding last August after a suicide bombing that was blamed on IS.

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