Bomb Blast Kills 11 in Turkey

A car bomb targeting a police bus in Istanbul, Turkey has claimed 11 lives and severely injured several others.

The bomb which exploded in Beyazit, a central district of Istanbul claimed the lives of seven policemen and four civilians according to the governor of Istanbul, Vasip Sahin. “May God bless their souls. 36 people were injured. Three of them are in critical condition. Investigation is ongoing,” he added.

A journalist reporting in the area said the bus was targeted by a remotely detonated car bomb before a second blast believed to have been caused by a gas canister. “The attack happened close the Grand Bazaar so it might have been done to keep tourists away,” he added.

Turkey’s president Tayyip Erdogan has visited some of the injured and said the attack was “unforgivable”.

This marks the third terrorist attack this year on the historic city of Istanbul which is Europe’s Capital of Culture and the world’s fifth most popular tourist destination.

Fingers are already pointing at the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) but some suspect that the Kurdistan Freedom Falcons (TAK), a breakaway of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) may be involved as they were responsible for two previous attacks this year.