Islamic State Bomber Entered Turkey as Syrian Refugee

Turkish authorities on Wednesday probed how a jihadist from Syria killed 10 mainly German tourists in a attack in the heart of Istanbul that raised alarm over security in the city.

The bomber, identified as Nabil Fadli, detonated his charge on Sultanahmet Square which is home to Turkey’s most visited historic sites.

The suspect with a link to the attack was detained in Istanbul late Tuesday, Interior Minister Efkan Ala said during a news conference with his visiting German counterpart.

Thomas de Maiziere, the German interior minister, said it did not appear that Germans were deliberately targeted.

Meanwhile, de Maiziere stressed that there is “no indication” the bombing specifically targeted Germans, adding, “I see no reason to refrain from trips to Turkey”.

In a Wednesday raid on what is believed to be an Islamic State cell, three Russians were detained. Still, Germany issued a travel warning to its citizens to avoid large gatherings near landmarks in Istanbul and across Turkey, according to The Guardian, since the explosion erupted near a popular tourist attraction.

They are suspected of having links to Islamic State but it is unclear if there is a direct link to the Istanbul bombing. “The especially unhealthy, unplanned and random admission of Syrian refugees and their subsequent distribution inside the country have been leading to very serious social, economic and security risks”, said Devlet Bahceli, leader of the far-right Nationalist Movement Party.

Dozens of people with suspected links to so-called Islamic State (IS) have been arrested across Turkey following Tuesday’s suicide bomb attack in Istanbul that killed at least 10 people, officials say.

The bombing may also be a sign that Islamic State – blamed for the attack – is raising the stakes as Turkey tightens borders that allow passage of militants from Syria and permits U.S.-allied air forces to run bombing missions from its bases, as well as toughening its counterterrorism operations.

Violence had already escalated back in July, with a suicide attack in Suruc, a Kurdish-majority town near the Syrian border.

But it denies it is preoccupied with fighting Kurdistan Workers’ Party militants (PKK) instead of IS and insists all terrorist groups will be fought with the same resolve.

Turkish authorities have also arrested three Russian men linked to the Islamic State in connection with the Istanbul suicide bombing.

Tuesday’s blast, just steps from the historic Blue Mosque, was the first by IS to target Turkey’s vital tourism sector, although the militants have struck with deadly effect elsewhere in the country.

“It was an attack against humanity”, de Maiziere said.

Ten people were killed by the blast, mostly German tourists. All have attacked the Turkish state at one time or another in the recent past, but all do not present the same level of threat.