A Syrian suicide bomber is believed to have carried out the attack on the historic central square in Istanbul killing at least 10 people and injured more than 15 more, including foreign tourists.
The explosion occurred close to the Sultanahmet tram stop and Dikilitas, the Obelisk of Theodosius, in the heart of Istanbul’s tourist district.
The explosion was so strong that could be heard in nearby neighborhoods, as witnesses reported.
According to Dogan news, at least six German citizens, one Norwegian and one Peruvian were injured in the blast.
Norway’s Foreign Ministry later confirmed that one Norwegian citizen was injured and is receiving treatment at a local hospital.
“It’s not a life-threatening injury,” Norwegian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Guri Solberg said, as RT reports.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said a Syrian suicide bomber is believed to be responsible for the deadly attack.
“I condemn the terror incident in Istanbul assessed to be an attack by a suicide bomber with Syrian origin. Unfortunately we have 10 dead including foreigners and Turkish nationals… There are also 15 wounded,” Erdogan said.
Istanbul authorities are investigating the incident and the type of the explosives used.
During a press conference, Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmuş said the suicide bomber was identified as a Syrian born in 1988 adding that most of the victims of the blast are foreigners.
Erdem Koroglu, who was working at a nearby office, told NTV he saw several people lying on the ground following the explosion.
“It was difficult to say who was alive or dead,” he said. “Buildings rattled from the force of the explosion.”
“We shook a lot. We ran out and saw body parts,” another witness said.
“I started running away with my daughter. We went into a nearby building and stayed there for half an hour. It was really scary,” a German tourist named Caroline told AFP.
