Istanbul bomb attack kills 6, injures dozens

ISTANBUL — A bomb rocked a major pedestrian avenue in the heart of Istanbul on Sunday, killing six people, wounding dozens and sending people fleeing the fiery explosion.

Emergency vehicles rushed to the scene on Istiklal Avenue, a popular thoroughfare lined with shops and restaurants that leads to the landmark Taksim Square. In one video posted online, a loud bang could be heard and a flash seen as pedestrians turned and ran away.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called the blast a "treacherous attack" and said its perpetrators would be punished.

Turkish Vice-President Fuat Oktay said on Sunday: "We evaluate this to be an act of terror, carried out seemingly by a female assailant."

Istanbul police said on Monday it had detained 46 people in relation to an attack at the heart of the city, including Syrian woman Ahlam Albashir who is suspected to have planted the bomb.

In initial questioning, the woman said she was trained by Kurdish militants in Syria and entered Turkiye through northwest Syria's Afrin region, the police said.

Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu had earlier said evidence obtained pointed to the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, and to its Syrian extension, the Democratic Union Party.

Later on Monday, the PKK denied involvement in the bomb attack, saying it did not target civilians, in a statement on its website.

"It is out of question for us to target civilians in any way," the PKK said.

In its condolence message, the White House said it strongly condemned the "act of violence" in Istanbul, adding: "We stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our NATO ally (Turkiye) in countering terrorism."

Other countries including Pakistan, Lebanon and Algeria also sent condolences and condemned the attack.

"We extend our heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and wish a speedy recovery to those injured," the Pakistani Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Sunday night.

Pakistan firmly stands with the people of Turkiye in the fight against the scourge of terrorism, it added.

Soylu said that of the 81 people who were hospitalized, 50 were discharged. Five of the wounded were receiving emergency care and two of them were in a life-threatening condition, he said.

The six who were killed in the blast were members of three families and including a 15-year-old and a 9-year-old. Istiklal Avenue was reopened to pedestrian traffic at 6 am on Monday after police concluded inspections at the scene. People began leaving carnations at the site of the blast.

Agencies - Xinhua