Istanbul Bombs Kill 13, Injure 70

(AP) – Two bombs exploded just minutes apart in Istanbul, killing 13 and injuring around 70 others today in a square packed with people, the governor said. The bombs were placed in trash cans and police were investigating who might be behind the blasts. "There is no doubt that this is a terror attack," he said.

Kurdish, leftist, and Islamist militants are active in Istanbul and have carried out bombings in the city in the past."The first explosion was not very strong," said a shop owner. "Several people came to see what was going on. That's when the second explosion occurred and it injured many onlookers."

The bombs were placed in trash cans and police were investigating who might be behind the blasts, Gov. Muammer Guler said. The explosions in the working class residential Gungoren district occurred about 10 minutes apart. "There is no doubt that this is a terror attack," he said. Kurdish, leftist and Islamist militants are active in Istanbul and have carried out bombings in the city in the past. Many people were injured in the second blast after they rushed to the area to help people following the first explosion. "The first explosion was not very strong," said Huseyin Senturk, who owns a shoe shop in the area. "Several people came to see what was going on. That's when the second explosion occurred and it injured many onlookers." The second explosion could be heard a mile (around 2 kilometers) away, according to an Associated Press reporter who arrived to the scene shortly after the blasts. Nurettin Kapucu, a doctor at a nearby hospital, said some 25 people were being treated there. Three of them were in serious condition. Broken glass, items of clothing, shop mannequins and other debris were strewn on the ground. Police sealed off the two separate locations at the square where the explosions occurred. The square is off limits to traffic and is an area where people congregate at nighttime. "The fact that there was a crowd in the area has increased the number of casualties," Guler said. Bomb squads in white overalls could be seen inspecting the scene.