by Donald Wood
Last updated: 10:35 AM ET, Tue January 12, 2016
Photo courtesy of Thinkstock
Tragedy struck Tuesday morning when a Syrian man allegedly detonated a bomb that killed at least 10 people and wounded 15 others in a popular tourist section of Istanbul's historic district.
According to Lefteris Pitarakis and Suzan Fraser of the Associated Press, the suspected suicide bomber detonated his explosive device at around 10:20 a.m. local time, killing at least nine German tourists in the blast.
Turkish news agencies are reporting German chancellor Angela Merkel spoke to Turkey's Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu about the attack, and that Merkel claimed that the victims were part of a travel group from Germany.
Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan released a statement following Tuesday's attack, saying, "I strongly condemn the terror incident that occurred in Istanbul, at the Sultanahmet Square, and which has been assessed as being an attack by a Syria-rooted suicide bomber."
The explosion took place near the famous Sultan Ahmed Mosque in Istanbul, and reports suggest the blast could be heard from several neighborhoods. The AP also reported that local news outlets claim one Norwegian, one South Korean and one Peruvian have been treated for wounds suffered in the bombing.
The Sultanahmet neighborhood-which features popular tourist destinations like Topkapi Palace and the former Byzantine church of Haghia Sophia-was sealed off by police until the area could be cleared of any other potential explosive devices.
After the news of the attacks was confirmed, Davutoglu organized a security meeting with the Turkey's interior minister and other officials, and ordered a news blackout that will limit how much footage and information outlets could reveal during the ongoing investigation.
For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter.
Topics From This Article to Explore
