A deadly blast ripped through Istanbul’s Sultanahmet tourist district Tuesday, killing at least 10 people and wounding 15 more. Turkey’s prime minister placed the blame for the attack on Islamic State.

Al-Jazeera America reported:

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said the sole perpetrator belonged to ISIL and pledged to battle the armed group until it no longer “remains a threat” to Turkey or the world. Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus said the bomber was a 28-year-old Syrian national.

Nine of the 10 people killed were German tourists, Turkish officials said. Turkey’s state-run news agency said Davutoglu held a telephone conversation with German chancellor Angela Merkel to express his condolences.

In the bombing’s aftermath, several bodies could be seen on the ground in the Sultanahmet square, a bustling area of Turkey’s most populous city close to the popular Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia tourist sites.

Police sealed the area, barring people from approaching in case of a second explosion, and a police helicopter hovered overhead. Among the wounded were German, Norwegian, Peruvian and South Korean nationals, reports said.

For further details about the bombing, read here.

—Posted by Jenna Berbeo

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#bombing#daesh#germany#isil#isis#islamic state#istanbul#suicide bomber#tourists#turkey