Police officers secure the area after a suicide bomb explosion outside the historical Ulu Cami in Bursa, Turkey, Wednesday, April 27, 2016. The office of the governor of Bursa said in a statement carried by the state-owned Anadolu Agency that a woman believed to be a suicide bomber blew herself up.(AP)
ISTANBUL — A female suicide bomber blew herself up in a historic district of Turkey’s fourth largest city on Wednesday, wounding 13 people, according to officials.
The assailant was “aged about 25” and only fragments were left of her body after the attack in the city of Bursa, said Turkey’s health minister, Mehmet Muezzinoglu.
He said 13 individuals were wounded in the attack but none of them were in critical condition. Another seven people sought medical attention over ear pain and hearing problems as a consequence of the blast.
Bursa Governor Munir Karaloglu said authorities were still trying to determine the identity and affiliation of the attacker. He denied reports that two other accomplices were seen fleeing the scene, saying they were citizens fleeing in panic and that the woman acted alone.
The explosion ripped through an area that is home to an Ottoman-era mosque and bazaar in the northwestern city, which is a popular tourist destination for both locals and foreigners. Turkish TV channels broadcast footage of people fleeing the area as police and ambulances rushed to the scene.
The attack occurred a day after the United States issued a new warning to its citizens about “credible indications” of terrorist threats against tourist areas in Turkey.
Turkish authorities yesterday detained 15 people in connection with a suicide bomb attack, Interior Minister Efkan Ala said. Ala did not provide details on the suspects.