Istanbul, Jan 13: Police in Turkey have detained 59 people suspected of being Islamic State militants, following suicide bomb attack in Istanbul.
Twenty-two properties were raided across the southeast provinces of Sanliurfa, Adana and Gazientep on Tuesday, although it was not confirmed whether those arrested are linked to the attack.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said it was carried out “by a suicide bomber of Syrian origin”, while Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said the man belonged to IS. Officials said he was a Syrian born in 1988.
No group has claimed responsibility for the bomb, which killed 10 people – most of them German tourists – in Sultanahmet Square earlier in the day.
The square is a popular place for tourists, as it is next to the city’s famous Ottomon-era Blue Mosque.
Islamist, leftist and Kurdish fighters have carried out previous attacks in Turkey but many are blaming the so-called Islamic State for what is the first attack aimed at tourists in the city’s recent memory.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said at least eight Germans were among the dead – although Turkish officials said nine had been killed – and warned Germans to stay away from public places and tourist attractions.
Peruvian authorities also confirmed one of their citizens had died in the attack.
The 15 people hurt include citizens of Norway, Turkey, Germany, South Korea and Peru.
Turkey is a member of the US-led coalition against IS militants, who have taken over parts of neighbouring Syria and Iraq. It has also been one of IS’s targets, with two of last year’s bombings blamed on the group, including one in the capital of Ankara which killed more than 100 people.
