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Suicide Bomber Attacks Istanbul Police Station 2 Die as Suicide Bomber Attacks Istanbul Police Station
(about 3 hours later)
ISTANBUL — A female suicide bomber wearing a large coat that concealed her explosives attacked a police station in the heart of Istanbul’s most tourist-filled district on Tuesday, killing herself and wounding two police officers, one fatally. ISTANBUL — A suicide bomber wearing a large coat that concealed her explosives attacked a police station in the heart of Istanbul’s most tourist-filled district on Tuesday, killing herself and wounding two police officers, one fatally.
It was the second attack on the police in this city in less than a week, and was reminiscent of a suicide bomb assault on the United States Embassy in Ankara nearly two years ago. It was the second attack on the police in this city in less than a week, and the first time in more than four years that a suicide bomber had struck such a heavily visited part of Istanbul. The attack also was reminiscent of a suicide bomb assault on the United States Embassy in Ankara nearly two years ago.
Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu told reporters in Ankara that he had “given instructions for the most comprehensive investigations” into the assault. Turkish news media said two police officers were wounded and one of them died.Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu told reporters in Ankara that he had “given instructions for the most comprehensive investigations” into the assault. Turkish news media said two police officers were wounded and one of them died.
The identity and nationality of the bomber were not immediately clear but the Istanbul governor, Vasip Sahin, told reporters at the scene that she had spoken English. She told police officers she had lost a wallet, the governor said. The identity and nationality of the bomber were not immediately clear, but the Istanbul governor, Vasip Sahin, told reporters at the scene that she had spoken English. She told police officers she had lost a wallet, the governor said.
The attack took place on a snowy day in the historic city’s Sultanahmet district, home to some of the most storied and heavily trafficked visitor sites in Istanbul, including the famed Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sophia Museum, once the leading temple of Eastern Orthodox Christians. The attack took place on a snowy day in the historic city’s Sultanahmet district, home to some of the most storied and heavily trafficked visitor sites in Istanbul, including the Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sophia Museum, once the leading temple of Eastern Orthodox Christians.
A street merchant, who was in the area at the time of the explosion, said the woman had walked past a souvenir shop and asked for directions to the tourism police station minutes before blowing herself up. “She was well-dressed and looked decent,” said the merchant, Omer Cenker, a tea seller. A street merchant who was in the area at the time of the explosion said the woman had walked past a souvenir shop and asked for directions to the police station minutes before blowing herself up. “She was well-dressed and looked decent,” said the merchant, Omer Cenker, a tea seller.
“It’s snowing, so there was nothing suspicious about her big coat, or what she was wearing,” Mr. Cenker said. “It’s snowing, so there was nothing suspicious about her big coat or what she was wearing,” Mr. Cenker said.
Shop owners in the vicinity said they had heard a loud explosion followed by gunfire.Shop owners in the vicinity said they had heard a loud explosion followed by gunfire.
“Thank God there was a storm outside because everyone was inside when the explosion went off,” said Yusuf Akyun, a clerk in a souvenir shop. “Normally there would have been more people by the police station.”“Thank God there was a storm outside because everyone was inside when the explosion went off,” said Yusuf Akyun, a clerk in a souvenir shop. “Normally there would have been more people by the police station.”
It was the second time in a week that the police in Istanbul were attacked. Last Thursday, a man lobbed grenades and fired a weapon at officers near the Istanbul offices of the prime minister before he was subdued. Last Thursday, a man lobbed grenades and fired a weapon at officers near the Istanbul offices of the prime minister before he was subdued.
The leftist Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party, an extremist militant group in Turkey that asserted responsibility for the suicide bombing at the United States Embassy on Feb. 2, 2013, which killed the assailant and a security guard, asserted responsibility for last Thursday’s attack. The leftist Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party, an extremist militant group in Turkey that claimed responsibility for the suicide bombing at the United States Embassy on Feb. 2, 2013, which killed the assailant and a security guard, asserted responsibility for Thursday’s attack.
The last time a suicide bomber struck a popular site in this city was on Oct. 31, 2010, when a 24-year-old man linked by the police to Kurdish separatists blew himself up in Taksim Square, wounding 15 police officers and 17 civilians.
Although female suicide bombers are unusual in Turkey, they are not unprecedented. On Oct. 29, 2011, a woman wearing a bomb killed herself and two other people in Bingol, a predominantly Kurdish town in eastern Turkey.