A loud explosion sounded on Sunday (November 13th) in the busy shopping street of Istiklal in the heart of Istanbul, Turkish media reported, some of which report a temporary toll of eleven injured. On Twitter, the governor of Istanbul, Ali Yerlikaya, evokes “dead and wounded” without specifying the number.
The explosion occurred shortly after 4 p.m. (1 p.m. GMT), when the crowd on Istiqlal Street is particularly dense, the NTV television channel reported. Images circulating on social networks in the afternoon showed ambulances, fire engines and police forces present on the spot. In a video posted online, we can see the explosion accompanied by a powerful bang before passers-by fled. The cause of the explosion is still undetermined.
Istiklal Street had already been hit in the past during a campaign of attacks in 2015-2016, which notably targeted Istanbul. Claimed by the Islamic State group, this series of attacks left nearly 500 dead and more than 2,000 injured.
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