Suicide bomber targets heart of Istanbul’s tourist district
A female suicide bomber has blown herself up in the heart of Istanbul’s tourist area, killing a police officer and injuring another.
The woman walked into a police station in the historic area of Sultanahmet, close to the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia, two of the city’s most popular tourist attractions.
The woman, who died in the attack, spoke English with "a thick accent", according to the BBC, but Istanbul governor Vasip Sahin told Turkish TV she has not yet been identified.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, which was the second in less than a week.
Last Thursday, a man threw grenades and fired a weapon at police near the prime minister’s office, but no-one was hurt.
Sahin told TV crews that in the latest attack a woman wearing a niqab walked into a police station and told officers she had lost her wallet before blowing herself up.
The UK Foreign Office warns there is a high threat from terrorism in Turkey. In an update to its usual travel advice yesterday it said: "On 6 January 2015, a Turkish police building in Istanbul’s main tourist district, Sultanahmet was targeted by a suicide bomber. The assailant died in the attack along with a Turkish police officer. If you’re in this area you should follow the advice of the local authorities."
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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