Turkish media report several injured in explosion in Istanbul

Numerous victims of the blast, which also wounded at least 15 others, were thought to be foreigners, the majority of whom were reportedly Germans. The state run Anadolu news agency reported that Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has spoken with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Some reports suggest the explosion was caused by a suicide bomber. It is unclear whether the death toll includes the bomber.

Fifteen people were wounded, many additionally German. In October, twin suicide bombings hit the capital city Ankara, claiming a total of 103 lives.

“International terrorism has once again showed itself, with its disgusting and inhuman face”, she said.

Ambulances and police were despatched to Sultanahmet, the city’s main tourist hub, which is home to world-famous monuments including the Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sophia, television reports said.

An official at the German foreign ministry said it could not be ruled out that German citizens may have been injured and that its crisis unit and the consulate in Istanbul were urgently working with the Turkish authorities to find out. Two of the wounded were reported to be in serious condition. “Travelers to Istanbul are strongly advised to avoid crowded public places and tourist attractions and to stay abreast of this travel advice and situation developments through the media”, the ministry’s travel notice reads.

Turkey suffered two major bombing attacks past year, both blamed on Islamic State.

Kurdish, leftist and Islamist militants have all carried out attacks in Turkey in the past.

Last year, Turkey agreed to take a more active role in the US-led battle against IS. The suspect was not on Turkey’s militant watch list and may have recently crossed the border into Turkey from Syria.

But Turkey is also waging an all-out assault on the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) which Ankara and its Western allies classify as a terror group.

Police sealed off the Sultanahmet area, barring people from approaching in case of a second explosion, and a police helicopter hovered overhead.

“We must assume that Germans were hurt and we can not exclude that Germans were among the dead”, he said. “Buildings rattled from the force of the explosion”.

After the news of the attacks was confirmed, Davutoglu organized a security meeting with the Turkey’s interior minister and other officials, and ordered a news blackout that will limit how much footage and information outlets could reveal during the ongoing investigation.

On January 6 previous year, a woman carried out a suicide bombing attack on a police station in Istanbul’s Sultanahmet, leaving an officer dead and another injured.