An explosion in central Istanbul killed eight people wounded 81; the authorities suspect the involvement of a woman

Istanbul police have arrested 46 people in connection with the explosion in the busy Istiklal Avenue of Turkey’s largest city. At least eight people died in the blast while 81 others suffered injuries. Interior minister Suleyman Soylu revealed that the suspects included the “person who left the bomb that caused the explosion.” The authorities suspect the involvement of a woman. She admitted being trained by Kurdish militants in Syria and had gained entry into Turkey through northwest Syria’s Afrin region. Security sources say two other Syrian nationals were involved in the attack. The police captured the woman, in her late 20s or early 30s, from the place where she was staying. Istanbul police checked the security cameras near the site of the explosion. They have also conducted raids at different addresses where the female suspect had links. Turkish police arrest 46 people over Istanbul explosion.

Kurdish separatists, ISIL (ISIS), and other groups have targeted Istanbul and other Turkish cities in the past. These included a series of attacks in 2015 and 2016. In December 2016, twin bombings outside an Istanbul football stadium killed 38 people and wounded 155. Countries like Azerbaijan, Egypt, France, Greece, Italy, Pakistan, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and the United States condemned the latest attack. Greece “unequivocally” denounced the blast and expressed condolences, while the US said it stood “shoulder-to-shoulder with our NATO ally in countering terrorism.” French President Emmanuel Macron said - “We share your pain. We stand with you in the fight against terrorism.” President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine tweeted - “The pain of the friendly Turkish people is our pain.” European Council President Charles Michel tweeted - “My thoughts are with the victims and their families.”

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ISIS has claimed responsibility for the New Year's Day mass shooting in a nightclub in Istanbul in which 39 people were killed and 69 wounded - the gunman is still at large. Turkey has retaliated by sending its fighter jets and tanks to strike 100 ISIS targets in Syria just hours after the terror group's attack.
Warplanes of Turkey used rockets to obliterate ISIS hideouts near the towns of al-Bab, Tadif and Bzagah in the north of the war-torn country - at least 22 extremists have been killed and many buildings destroyed.
This has been reported in dailymail.co.uk dated 2 January 2017.

Turkish authorities are continuing their manhunt for the nightclub killer who had arrived in a taxi dressed as Santa Claus before slaughtering partygoers in the nightclub.
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Killer in Santa Claus costume kills 39 in New Year Eve party in Istanbul

A killer dressed in Santa Claus costume kills 39 in New Year Eve party in an Istanbul club. There are at least 16 foreigners were among the people people killed in the gun attack during New Year festivities. The attack took place shortly after midnight in the club where an estimated 600 people were celebrating New Year’s eve.
21 of the victims have been identified so far and, 16 of them are foreigners and five are Turks. Another 69 people have been injured and are being treated in hospital for their wounds.
This has been reported in thehindu.com dated 1 January 2016.

The attacker managed to escape and is still at large. He opened fire in the nightclub during New Year’s celebrations and it has been described as a terror attack by the province’s governor. The attacker was armed with a long-barreled weapon and he killed a policeman and a civilian outside the club before entering and firing on people partying inside.
It was the Reina nightclub, in Istanbul’s Ortakoy district. Ankara and Istanbul have been targeted by several attacks in 2016 carried out by the Islamic State group or Kurdish rebels and these have killed more than 180 people.


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Car bomb in Turkish city of Kayseri kills 13 soldiers and injures another 48

A total of 13 soldiers were killed and 48 more injured in a car bomb attack in the Turkish city of Kayseri. The car bomb hit a bus that was transporting off-duty military personnel in the central Turkish city. This incident comes one week after a twin bombing targeted police in Istanbul.
This has been reported in dailymail.co.uk dated 17 December 2016.

Last week's bombing left 44 dead and wounded more than 150 and these blasts have angered a Turkish public that is frustrated by a string of deadly bombings this year - some of these have been claimed by Kurdish militants. However, no agency has claimed responsibility for the car bomb in Kayseri.
It seems the bus transporting the military was stopped at a red light near the campus of Erciyes University in Kayseri when a car approached it and detonated the car bomb. Kurdish militants have previously targeted buses that were carrying military or security forces.
Turkey is faced with multiple security threats including spillover from the fight against Islamic State in northern Syria - there Turkey is a member of a U.S.-led coalition against the militant group. Turkey also faces regular attacks from Kurdish militants.


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Two suspected ISIS jihadists have been arrested in Ataturk Airport in Istanbul - the two had with them night-vision binoculars, fake passports and military-style clothing and were from Kyrgyztan. One of the earlier suicide bombers who killed 45 persons in an attack in the airport a week back was also from Kyrgyztan.
This has been reported in dailymail.co.uk dated 4 July 2016.

It may be recalled that 45 people have died following the attack on Tuesday night. In the attack, three men walked into the airport and open fire before blowing themselves up. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack so far, but the Turkish government believes ISIS was behind it. Moreover, there are suspicions that the bombers were part of a Russian-speaking unit of jihadis and was led by a one-armed Chechen warlord.
Anyway, the two men now arrested have been identified and are aged 25 and 35 respectively. It is still not clear whether they were arriving or leaving Ataturk Airport. Police have recovered night-vision binoculars and military-style clothes from their suitcases along with two passports in different names.


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36 killed and more than 147 injured in Ataturk airport suicide attack in Istanbul

Suicide bombers attacked the Ataturk International airport in Istanbul and left at least 36 dead with more than 140 injured. There are fears that the death toll could rise. It is suspected that three Islamic State terrorists were involved - they blew themselves up at the airport.
The airport was put on lockdown, the subway system was shut down, and all roads leading to the airport were closed. The Federal Aviation Administration has suspended flights between Istanbul and the United States.
This has been reported in usatoday.com dated 28 June 2016.

AS indicated by Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim, three suicide bombers were responsible for the attack and from initial information, they appeared to belong to the Islamic State group was behind it. They had arrived at the airport in a taxi and blew themselves up after opening fire.
This attack is the latest in a wave of terror attacks in Turkey which is trying to come to terms with the civil war raging in neighboring Syria. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack but, the government in Ankara has blamed Islamic State terrorists or Kurdish separatists for recent attacks.


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Car bomb attack on Istanbul police leave 11 dead

A car bomb attack on a police bus in Beyazit district, Istanbul has left 11 people dead, seven of them were police officers. Four persons have been arrested in this connection. The deaths have been confirmed by the city's governor, Vasip Sahin. Thirty-six others have been injured and at least three of them were in a serious condition.
This has been reported in news.sky.com dated 7 June 2016.

The explosion happened near the Vezneciler metro station and close to an Istanbul University building. The force of the blast caused the police bus to overturn - it was transporting rapid-response officers. As a result the metro station was closed and university canceled the exams. Due to the explosion, nearby buildings were damaged as were several cars. Windows were blown out and debris littered the floor of the 16th-century Sehzade Mosque.
This was the fourth major bombing in Turkey's biggest city this year - two of these targeted security forces while the other two targeted tourists. The violence has already affected the tourism industry and has damaged the economy. As per official figures, 1.75 million people visited Turkey in April - this is more than 28% down on April 2015.


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Syrian suicide bomber kills 10 and injures at least 15 near Blue Mosque, Istanbul

#bluemosque #istanbul #ISIS #suicidebomber A 28-year-old Syrian national blew himself up in a popular tourist district near Blue Mosque of Istanbul and 10 people were killed in the blast while at least 15 more were injured. The injured included at least six Germans, one Norwegian and one Peruvian. Seoul's Foreign Ministry has added that one South Korean had a minor injury. The Norwegian Foreign Ministry has, likewise, informed that the Norwegian tourist was slightly hurt and was being treated in a local hospital.
This has been reported in foxnews.com darted 12 January 2016.

Authorities in Germany and Denmark have warned its citizens visiting Turkey to avoid crowds outside tourist attractions in Istanbul. German officials have indicated that further violent clashes and "terrorist attacks" are expected across Turkey and has urged travelers to stay away from demonstrations and gatherings, particularly in large cities.
The suicide attack happened was at a park that is home to a landmark obelisk hardly 25 yards away from the historic Blue Mosque.
It may be recalled that Turkey had suffered two major bombing attacks last year. One was in July the town of Suruc when more than 30 people were killed in an ISIS suicide attack - Suruc is near Turkey's border with Syria. Later, in October, two suicide bombs went off outside Ankara's main train station as people gathered for a peace rally - more than 100 were killed. This was Turkey's deadliest attack.

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