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Istanbul hit by suicide bomber

At least five killed, 36 wounded in suicide bombing in heart of Istanbul shopping area

19 March 2016, 12:41pm
2 min read
Turkish police, forensics and emergency services on the scene of the sucide bombing
Turkish police, forensics and emergency services on the scene of the sucide bombing

A suicide bomb attack at a busy shopping area in the Turkish city of Istanbul has killed at least five people, government officials said.

Up to 36 people were injured, three seriously.

The area - Istiklal Street - is a very busy commercial and entertainment quarter adjacent to Taksim Square in central Istanbul.

Last Sunday, an attack in the capital, Ankara, killed 37 people. Kurdish rebel group TAK claimed that attack, saying it was in revenge for Turkish military operations against Kurds.

Last month, a bomb attack on a military convoy in Ankara killed 28 people and wounded dozens more.

In October 2015, more than 100 people were killed in a double-suicide bombing at a Kurdish peace rally in Ankara.

The attack in Istanbul - Turkey's largest city - occurred around 11:00.

Uwes Shehadeh was some 500m away when he heard "a horrific and horrible noise".

"People didn't know what was going on. It was very chaotic. Everyone was screaming and running away," he told the BBC.

"Istanbul is on high alert and people are very worried as to what will happen next."

Three Israeli tourists were among those injured, local media report say. The Israeli foreign ministry has confirmed Israelis were wounded, but not given the number or said what condition they are in.

Both the so-called Islamic State (ISIS) and Kurdish militants have claims recent attacks in Turkey.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said terror groups are targeting civilians because they are losing their struggle against Turkish security forces.

Turkey is part of the US-led coalition against IS and allows coalition planes to use its air base at Incirlik for raids on Iraq and Syria.

It has also been carrying out a campaign of bombardment against Syrian Kurdish fighters of the People's Protection Units (YPG), which it regards as a extension of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).

A two-year-old ceasefire between Turkey and the PKK broke down last summer.

Since then, more than 340 members of Turkey's security forces have been killed along with at least 300 Kurdish fighters and more than 200 civilians.

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