Twenty nine people were killed, mainly police officers, and 166 wounded in double bombings that struck Istanbul Saturday after a home football match hosted by top side Besiktas, Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said.
Twenty seven of those killed were policemen and two were civilians, he told reporters in Istanbul, adding that 10 suspects had already been detained over the bombing.
Mr. Soylu said the first blast was caused by a car bomb that struck outside Besiktas’s football stadium.
It was followed 45 seconds later by another attack at nearby Macka Park, carried out by a suicide bomber who blew himself up in the midst of police officers.
The Minister said the government suspects the two bombings were linked.
The authorities did not say who was behind the blasts but the attacks were the latest in a year that has seen Istanbul and other Turkish cities rocked by a string of attacks blamed on Islamic State jihadists and Kurdish militants.
“An act of terror targeted our security forces and citizens at Besiktas tonight,” President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in a statement.Mr. Erdogan said the blasts shortly after the end of the match sought to cause maximum loss of life.
“We have witnessed once more here in Istanbul the ugly face of terror which tramples down any form of value and morals,” he said.
Mr. Soylu said one blast took place outside the stadium and another at Macka Park, a popular meeting place just above the sports venue.”I heard two explosions in less than one minute, followed by the sound of gunshots,” one witness told AFP on condition of anonymity.
Besiktas football club issued a statement condemning the attack and confirming none of the fans or players were hurt.
