ERDOGAN BLAMES SYRIAN ORIGIN BEHIND SUICIDE BOMBING IN ISTANBUL

Police forensic officers at the scene of the explosion

Ankara, 3 Rabiul Akhir 1437/13 January 2016 (MINA) – Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday that a suicide bomber of Syrian origin was most likely behind the blast that hit Istanbul earlier today.

Erodgan said in a TV speech: “Right in the beginning of my speech, I would like to condemn the terror incident in Istanbul, assessed to be an attack by a suicide bomber with Syrian origin.”

He added that foreigners and Turkish nationals were among the injured in the suicide explosion that hit central Istanbul, offering condolence to the families of the deceased and wishing recovery to those wounded.

At least 10 people were killed and 15 others wounded in the explosion that hit the historic Sultanahmet square, a major tourist attraction, in central Istanbul in Turkey, Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) quoted Kuna as reporting.

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The blast occurred at about 10.20am local time on Tuesday morning, Turkey’s Anadolu news agency quoted the Istanbul governor’s office as saying in a statement, adding that the explosion was under investigations.

“Investigations into the cause of the explosion, the type of explosion and perpetrator or perpetrators are underway,” it said.

Ambulances rushed to the site in Sultanahmet square, ferrying away the wounded as police cordoned off the site and its vicinity, it added.

Meanwhile, Turkey’s Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has convened an emergency security meeting of key ministers and officials.
Two suicide bombings had hit Ankara in October 2015, leaving at least 100 people killed. (T/R07/R03 )

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Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)