ANKARA: At least 28 people were killed on Monday in a suicide attack in a Turkish town on the Syrian border, with officials pointing the finger of blame at the Islamic State group. The blast ripped through a cultural centre in Suruc, a town opposite the Syrian flashpoint of Kobane — which was hit shortly afterwards by a suicide car bombing. The force of the explosion in Suruc smashed the windows of the building in the centre of the city and set off a fire, witnesses said. Television footage showed several people lying on the ground covered in blood and ambulances rushing to the scene. The interior ministry described the blast as a "terrorist attack" and vowed to find the perpetrators as soon as possible and bring them to justice. "The Turkish authorities have strong reason to believe that the terrorist attack was perpetrated by ISIS," a government official told AFP, using another name for IS.

Planes sink ship

BENGHAZI: Libyan war planes sank one ship and attacked a second vessel on Sunday near the eastern city of Benghazi, military spokesmen for the country's internationally recognised government said on Monday. There was no independent confirmation for the strike near the town of Mareesa, the latest attack on ships in Libya where two governments and parliaments are fighting for control years after the toppling of Muammar Gaddafi. "The vessel was sunk because it had loaded fighters, weapons and ammunition to support terrorism in the eastern region," air force spokesman Nasser al-Hassi said early on Monday.

Burundi prez polls

BUJUMBURA:  Burundi's electoral commission says preparations for Tuesday's presidential election are complete even though the opposition continues to protest incumbent President Pierre Nkurunziza's candidacy for a third term in office. Electoral commission spokesman Prosper Ntahorwamiye said on Monday that ballot boxes and papers have been distributed to 11,493 voting centres and security has been beefed up to ensure a smooth voting process. He said eight candidates will be on the ballot.