«A suicide bomber thought to have crossed recently from Syria killed at least 10 people, most of them German tourists, in Istanbul's historic heart on Tuesday, in an attack Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu blamed on Islamic State», Reuters reports.
«A suicide bomber thought to have crossed recently from Syria killed at least 10 people, most of them German tourists, in Istanbul's historic heart on Tuesday, in an attack Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu blamed on Islamic State», Reuters reports.
All of those killed in Sultanahmet square, near the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia - major tourist sites in the center of one of the world's most visited cities - were foreigners, Davutoglu said. A senior Turkish official said nine were German, while Peru's foreign ministry said a Peruvian man also died.
Davutoglu said he had spoken by phone with German Chancellor Angela Merkel to offer condolences and vowed Turkey's fight against Islamic State, at home and as part of the U.S.-led coalition, would continue.
The blast happened near the iconic blue mosque in Sultanahmet, a historic, tourist district, around 10:20 a.m. local time. Officials say nine Germans and two South Koreans were killed. Fourteen people were injured.
Chancellor Angela Merkel said Germany would put up a determined fight against terror, RTÉ reports.
«We feel a sense of solidarity with Turkey» Istanbul, have the same target – «our free life and free society».
