ISTANBUL — A car bomb in the heart of Istanbul exploded during rush hour Tuesday, killing at least 11 people in the latest in a string of attacks that have hit Turkey's largest city in recent months.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast, which
was remotely detonated as a van carrying riot police drove by, Istanbul Gov. Vasip Sahin said, adding that seven of the dead were police officers. At least four civilians were also killed, and another 36 people wounded, officials said.
Past attacks in Istanbul and across Turkey have been linked to either the Islamic State or Kurdish rebel factions.
NATO-member Turkey is involved in multiple conflicts in the region. Turkey backs opposition fighters in neighboring Syria and offers staging grounds for the U.S.-led air coalition targeting the Islamic State in Syria. At the same time, it is waging battles against Kurdish separatists as part of a decades-long fight.
THE WASHINGTON POST
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