Advertisement

Suicide Attacker in Turkey Injures 10 With Grenades

Share
From Associated Press

A young woman set off hand grenades strapped to her body and stuffed in her backpack when stopped by police in Istanbul’s main square Saturday, killing herself and wounding 10 others.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but authorities quickly accused Kurdish rebels seeking revenge for the recent arrest and imprisonment of their leader, Abdullah Ocalan.

The Istanbul governor, Erol Cakir, said police believe that the bomber planned to set off the grenades near a group of police buses.

Advertisement

Three police officers and seven passersby, including an 11-year-old child, were injured. None suffered life-threatening injuries.

Witnesses described a scene of chaos.

“I heard a big explosion as I crossed the square. When I turned around there were five people lying on the ground,” Olcay Kirac said.

The attack came shortly after noon in Taksim Square, which is surrounded by chic shops, cafes, theaters and five-star hotels. Several consulates are nearby.

A day earlier, a previously unknown group calling itself the Nationalist Kurdish Revenge Forces threatened attacks in a statement carried by a pro-Kurdish news agency in Germany.

“The fact that they use young women as live bombs shows how they revert to inhuman ways,” Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit said.

Istanbul has borne the brunt of the recent spate of attacks. The deadliest, an arson attack in an Istanbul store earlier this month, killed 13.

Advertisement

Ocalan is awaiting trial on charges of treason stemming from his guerrilla army’s nearly 15-year war for autonomy. He could face the death penalty. His lawyers said Friday that he did not approve of the attacks.

Advertisement