Car Bomb Targeting Police in Istanbul Kills 11, Wounds 36

Police officers work at the scene of a car bombing in Istanbul on Tuesday.

Istanbul, 03 Ramadan 1437/07 June 2016 (MINA) – A car bomb ripped through a police bus in central Istanbul during the morning rush hour on Tuesday, killing 11 people and wounding 36 near the main tourist district, a major university and the mayor’s office.

The car was detonated as police buses passed, Istanbul Governor Vasip Sahin told reporters.

“A car-bomb attack was made against vehicles carrying our rapid-response police and passing by on the road, resulting in seven police and four civilians losing their lives,” Sahin said.

Three of the 36 wounded were in critical condition, he added.

The blast hit the Vezneciler district, between the headquarters of the local municipality and the campus of Istanbul University, not far from the city’s historic heart. It shattered shop windows and scattered rubble over nearby streets.

GCC Secretary General Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani strongly condemned the terrorist blast that occurred Tuesday morning in Istanbul and targeted a police vehicle.

In a statement to Saudi Press Agency (SPA), Al-Zayani voiced GCC states’ condemnation of the cowardly terrorist act, which contradicts with all human and moral values and principles, expressing confidence in the swift arrest of perpetrators of this horrific crime and bringing them to justice

He also expressed his sincere condolences to the families of the victims and the Turkish government and people, wishing speedy recovery for the injured. (T/R07/R01)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)