4-year-old immigrant shot dead in smugglers’ bus in eastern Turkey

One immigrant child was shot dead and 12 others injured on Sunday when a bus carrying illegal immigrants defied a warning to stop at a military checkpoint in Turkey’s eastern city Van, Gazete Duvar reported.

The military opened fire when the bus tried to get away and a four year old immigrant was shot dead, Duvar cited Kemal Tosun, the neighborhood representative of the Karahisar village close to Iranian border, as saying. 

“The gendarmes fired at the vehicle’s tires and an immigrant caught by the ricochet has unfortunately lost his life and 12 others were injured”, Van governor’s office tweeted. 

Four of the injured were in grave condition. 

The military began to search the smugglers and the driver of the bus, and an investigation about the relevant personnel was carried out, the governorate said. 

Large waves of irregular Afghan migrants crossing the eastern border recent months have been the focus of Turkey where growing anti-refugee and migrant sentiment is forcing the authorities to step up measures against refugee smuggling.