The blast took place on Istiklal Avenue in the city on Sunday. The area is famous for shops and restaurants.
Turkish officials have blamed the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) as well as its affiliated Syrian Kurdish group for the attack. Kurdish militant groups have denied involvement in the attack.
Police raided Istanbul for several hours after the blast and detained 48 people, including a Syrian woman. It is suspected that he had placed the TNT-filled bomb in Istiklal.
Police said the woman, identified as Ahlam al-Bashir, who came to Turkey illegally from Syria, had confessed to carrying out the attack.
Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag said on Tuesday that the number of people detained had risen to 50. However, he did not provide further details.
According to the news of the official news agency ‘Anadolu’, the police on Tuesday arrested two brothers Ammar J. and Ahmed J. has been taken into custody.
The report said Ammar was allegedly tasked with escaping Alabshir from Istanbul to neighboring Greece after the attack, while Ahmed took another suspect to Edirne province, which borders Bulgaria, and the suspect is now is also absconding.
According to the news of independent news website ‘T24’, the minister said, “Turkey continues its fight against terrorism resolutely. No terrorist organization will succeed in any conspiracy against Turkey.”
Officials said around 80 people were hospitalized after the attack, of which at least 57 have been discharged. According to him, the six injured are in the intensive care unit and two of them are in critical condition.
Six people have died out of which three are members of the same family. They include two girls aged nine and 15.
AP Noman Manisha
Manisha
