Jerusalem Post Middle East
GRAPHIC VIDEO: Suicide bomber detonates self on busy Istanbul street
The clip shows a man loitering suspiciously on a busy street in the Turkish city as unsuspecting passersby continue on the pedestrian pathway in the busy shopping district.
Updated: MARCH 19, 2016 15:39
Istanbul suicide bombing
Closed-circuit security footage has emerged of the suicide bombing in Istanbul on Saturday that has reportedly killed and maimed dozens, including a group of Israeli tourists who were nearby during the attack.
Within seconds, a large explosion ensues, and the footage ends before any discernible damage can be ascertained.
The blast killed the bomber and at least four others. Thirty-six people were wounded, among them Israeli tourists.
The Foreign Ministry confirmed that there were Israelis among the wounded in the Saturday morning suicide bombing in Istanbul.
Head of the Joint List party, MK Ayman Odeh said he was in contact with authorities in Turkey who said six Arab-Israeli citizens were wounded in the blast.
Foreign Ministry Spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon said he could not confirm the number of Israelis harmed, nor what condition they were in. Later the ministry released a statement that the Israelis were hospitalized at four different hospitals in the city.
The Foreign Ministry said that the wounded Israelis were part of a group of 14 Israeli tourists. The ministry was set to convene a meeting on the attack on Saturday afternoon.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was being updated in the aftermath of the attack.
Netanyahu ordered an increase in manpower at the Turkish consulate in Istanbul and directed the envoy to work towards bringing back to Israel the wounded Israelis.
Preliminary findings indicate that the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) or an affiliate carried out the attack, a senior Turkish official told Reuters.
"The attacker detonated the bomb before reaching the targeted point because they were scared of the police," the official said, adding the bomber had planned to hit a more crowded spot.
Armed police sealed off the shopping street where half a dozen ambulances had gathered. Forensic teams in white suits scoured the area for evidence. Police helicopters buzzed overhead and panicked shoppers fled the area, ducking down narrow sidestreets.
"My local shopkeeper told me someone had blown himself up and I walked towards the end of the street," one neighborhood resident told Reuters.