by Al Jazeera
Six killed, 53 injured in Istanbul explosion
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says at least six killed and 53 others have been injured in a “heinous attack”, after an explosion hit Istanbul’s busy Istiklal thoroughfare.
A video posted online showed flames erupting and a loud bang, as pedestrians turned and ran away.
Cameras on Istiklal Street will show what happened: analyst
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Murat Aslan, a security analyst, told Al Jazeera that the place the attack took place is a civilian and highly crowded area with maximum security precautions.
“The police in general is on the highest level in this area,” he said.
“If you have a bag and look like a suspected individual, police may stop you as there are many police officers around there,” he also said.
“But if there is no clue that you are a terrorist … nobody will stop you, because this is a civilian street and police would not stop everybody and check the bags. It is clear,” Aslan said.
“There are a lot of security cameras in the area. I think the police will identify exactly who did this and how he or she did this if it is a terror attack,” he added.
At least six dead, 53 injured in Istiklal blast: Erdogan
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that the explosion in Istanbul’s Istiklal Street was caused by a “bomb attack,” adding that six people died in the incident.
Speaking before his departure to the G-20 summit in Indonesia on Sunday, Erdogan said the explosion was a “treacherous attack” and its perpetrators would be punished.
Another 53 were wounded, according to information he received from the Istanbul governor.
