Istanbul bomb blast kills 17

(28 July 2008)

At least 17 people have been killed and over 150 injured after two bomb blasts rocked Istanbul on Sunday.

The two explosions occurred in a busy shopping street in Gungoren, a residential area in the west of the city.

The first blast, which shattered glass and caused several injuries, occurred at around 10pm. As crowds rushed to help the wounded, a larger second bomb went off, killing and maiming more people.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but Turkish security services said the incident bore similarities to previous attacks by Kurdish rebels.

The bombs come just weeks after six people died in a gun battle outside the US embassy in the city.