An explosion at a popular pedestrian mall in downtown Istanbul on Sunday afternoon has left at least 6 dead and more than 50 injured. The area, which is popular with tourists, was full of families and shoppers at the time of the blast. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in a televised address that the attack “smells like terrorism.”
No one has claimed responsibility as yet for the attack, but Turkish media outlets released an image of a woman caught on security cameras who is suspected of having placed an explosive device. Istanbul and other Turkish cities have been the target of large-scale attacks in the past, launched by various groups including Kurdish separatists and Islamic extremists.
Videos posted to social media showed people running away from the blast near Taksim Square. Istanbul police have launched an investigation into the attack.