Istanbul (AFP) – Around 20 police officers were injured in a car bomb explosion outside an Istanbul football stadium on Saturday, in the latest attack to rock Turkey this year.
The car bomb blast struck the area outside Istanbul giant Besiktas football team’s stadium after a match against the Bursaspor club, targeting a bus packed with police officers, Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said.
“A car packed with explosives is believed to have exploded where our riot squad was deployed shortly after the football fans dispersed following the match,” Soylu said.
“The attack targeted the riot police’s bus,” the minister said, adding that nearly 20 police officers had been injured.
An AFP correspondent in Istanbul heard the explosion followed by the sound of ambulance sirens rushing to the scene.
Update:
15 dead, at least 69 wounded.
Via Fox News:
Two explosions struck Saturday night outside a soccer stadium in central Istanbul Saturday, killing 15 and wounding at least 69 police officers, Turkish officials said.
In photographs on social media, smoke was seen rising from behind the newly built Vodafone Arena Stadium, known as Besiktas Stadium, after the local team and neighborhood.