News Obiaks News

At least 11 people have been killed and dozens wounded in a car bomb attack in central Istanbul.

A bus carrying Turkish police officers appeared to be the target of the blast, which struck during Tuesday morning's rush hour in the historic Beyazit Square district near Istanbul University and tourist sites.

The governor of Istanbul, Vasip Şahin, said seven police officers and four civilians were killed, with 36 others wounded. There were fears the death toll could rise as three people remained in a critical condition.


A parked car packed with explosives was detonated using a remote control as the police bus passed, local reports said. The charred wreck of a patrially destroyed vehicle could be seen next to the bus, which was flipped upside down by the force of the explosion.

"There was a loud bang, we thought it was lightning but right at that second the windows of the shop came down. It was extremely scary,"� Cevher, a shopkeeper whose business was damaged, told Reuters.

President Tayyip Erdogan described the attack on officers whose jobs were to protect others as "unforgivable"�.

"These cannot be pardoned or forgiven - we will continue our fight against these terrorists until the end, tirelessly and fearlessly,"� he told reporters after visiting some of the injured victims in hopital.