Turkish authorities announced that the suicide bomber responsible for the deadly attack carried out near the grandest tourist attractions of Istanbul on Jan 12 is affiliated with Islamic State.

“We have determined that the perpetrator of the attack is a foreigner who is a member of Daesh [Arabic acronym for Isis],” prime minister Ahmet Davutoğlu said adding “Turkey won’t backtrack in its struggle against Daesh by even one step … This terror organisation, the assailants and all of their connections will be found and they will receive the punishments they deserve.”

The explosion occurred close to the Sultanahmet tram stop and Dikilitas, the Obelisk of Theodosius, in the heart of Istanbul’s tourist district, killing ten people and injuring at least 15.

Davutoglu said that all of those killed were foreigners. A senior Turkish official said nine were German, while Peru’s foreign ministry said a Peruvian man also died.

Earlier, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that bomber was an individual of Syrian origin born in 1988, but according to Hurriyet citing recent information the bomber was Nabil Fadli, a 28-year-old ISIL militant of Syrian origin who was born in Saudi Arabia in 1988.

Germany has issued a travel warning to its citizens telling them to avoid gatherings or landmarks in Istanbul and Turkey.

“I condemn the terror incident in Istanbul, assessed to be an attack by a suicide bomber with Syrian origin,” the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said in a televised speech. “Unfortunately we have 10 dead, including foreigners and Turkish nationals … There are also 15 wounded.”