Turkey Developing: 10 Killed, 15 Wounded by Istanbul Suicide Bombing

PHOTO: Bodies covered at the scene of Tuesday’s bombing in Istanbul

UPDATE 1800 GMT: The Istanbul suicide bomber has been identified as an Islamic State member, Nabil Fadli, a 28-year-old of Syrian origin born in Saudi Arabia.

Chancellor Angela Merkel has confirmed “at least” eight German nationals were killed and nine wounded. The Tagesschau newspaper suggests that Fadli deliberately targeted a German tourist group in the Sultanahmet Square, but ZDF television says that the bomber simply chose the largest gathering in the area.

Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmuş said Fadli had recently entered Turkey from Syria.

ORIGINAL ENTRY: At least 10 people have been killed and 15 have been wounded by a suicide bombing in a main square in Istanbul in Turkey.

The explosion took place about 10:20 a.m. near the Sultanahmet Tram station and Dikilitaş, the ancient Egyptian Obelisk of Theodosius, erected in Istanbul in the 4th century. The Sultanahmet district includes the Hagia Sophia museum and the Blue Mosque.

Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmuş told the press on Tuesday afternoon that the bomber was a male Syrian born in 1988. Authorities are examinining whether he is connected to the Islamic State.

A majority of the victims are foreign nationals, Kurtulmuş said, including six German, one Norwegian, and a Peruvian among the wounded. Two of those injured are in critical condition.

The Turkish Government held an emergency security meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu.

The main opposition party CHP condemned the attacked while criticizing the leadership of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).

CHP chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu said:

Those who aimed at our country with the treacherous attack in Sultanahmet will never reach their goal. I condemn terror and those who get nourished by terror with hatred….

A bomb explodes at the heart of tourism, in Sultanahmet and you have no measures taken. Then what do you do? You impose a ban on reporting even before ambulances arrive [on the scene]. This government is not able to rule the country.