Explosion Hits Istanbul's Tourist Hotspot, Casualties Reported

UPDATE: 7:41 a.m. EDT — A suicide bomb attack in central Istanbul’s popular shopping street killed five people and injured 36, Turkish Health Minister Mehmet Müezzinoğlu said, according to Hurriyet Daily News, a local newspaper.

The attack occurred Saturday in the busy Istiklal Street, which is a popular shopping destination among tourists. A senior Turkish official also told Reuters that initial investigations showed that the attack was conducted by the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), or one of its affiliates, Hurriyet Daily News reported. The attacker was reportedly deterred from an initial target by police officials and detonated the bomb “out of fear,” the official reportedly told Reuters.

So far, the street has been cordoned off, while a ban has been put in place against showing photos or videos from the scene of the attack. The U.S. embassy in Turkey said on its Twitter account in Turkish, according to Hurriyet Daily News: “Saddened, shocked by explosion on Istiklal. We mourn with families of the lost, and we wish the injured a speedy recovery.”

UPDATE: 6:31 a.m. EDT — Istanbul Governor Vasip Şahin said Saturday, according to Reuters, that four people were killed and 20 injured in a suicide bombing in the city’s Istiklal Street, a popular tourist area.

The governor added that three of the injured were in a critical condition and that there were three Israeli citizens among those injured. The latest attack comes after Germany shut down its embassy, general consulate and the German School on Thursday, following threats of a possible attack.

Original story:

An explosion hit a busy area in the Turkey's Istanbul resulting in several casualties, local media reported Saturday. The latest explosion follows one in capital Ankara last Sunday, which killed 37 people.

A report by Daily Sabah, a local newspaper, reported that the explosion targeted the city's Istiklal Street, near the near Demirören Mall. The report added that the explosion was a suicide bombing that left at least seven people were injured.

Several ambulances and police units were deployed to the area, which was cordoned off.

A tweet by Al Arabiya said that two people were killed in the explosion, which took place in a busy shopping street.