According to Turkey’s interior minister, a suicide bomber detonated an explosive device in front of the ministry headquarters in Istanbul, injuring two police officers.
Two attackers, according to Ali Yerlikaya, were responsible for the blasts in front of the Ministry of Interior building. According to the minister, one of them blew himself up and the other was “neutralized.”
According to Al Jazeera’s Sinem Koseoglu, reporting from Istanbul, the explosion happened about 9:30 a.m. (06:30 GMT).
“Security has been tightened around the parliament building and the Interior Ministry building, which are both nearby.”
“Parliament is reconvening after its summer recess.” “All parliamentarians, including the president [Recep Tayyip Erdogan], were expected to arrive at the parliament around 2 p.m.,” she stated.
Koseoglu stated that it was too early to speculate on who was responsible for the incident.
The attack occurs as Turkish authorities conduct operations against ISIL (ISIS) members.
This is an ongoing narrative. More information will be added as it becomes available.