Eight wounded in Istanbul bomb attack near military post

ISTANBUL

DHA photo

Eight people were injured when a bomb-laden car was detonated near a military post in the Sancaktepe district of Istanbul on the afternoon of May 12, Istanbul Governor Vasip Şahin has stated.

Şahin said five soldiers and three civilians were slightly injured in the blast.

The governor said the explosion inside the parked car occurred at around 4.45 p.m., after a shuttle bus carrying military personnel departed from the İsmail Hakkı Tunaboyu military post.

He added that one of the injured civilians is in a critical condition while the others are all receiving treatment.
Experts are investigating the site of the attack.

A number of buildings and shops near the military post were damaged due to the explosion. The front of the shuttle bus was also damaged due to scattered pieces from the bomb-laden car.

Police have cordoned off the area as bomb disposal experts investigated the car. Surveillance cameras near the scene are also being investigated.

Military sources say they are discussing the possibility that the car was detonated earlier than expected, as the military shuttle was about 25 meters away at the moment of explosion. 

The attack targeted military personnel departing from the İsmail Hakkı Tunaboyu Army Aviation Regiment military post, according to the Doğan News Agency.

Recently, three people were killed and another 45, including 12 police officers, were wounded in a bomb attack targeting a police shuttle near the center of the southeastern city of Diyarbakır on the afternoon of May 10. 

The outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) released a statement on May 11, claiming responsibility for the attack.