Twin bombings kill 29, hurt 166 in Turkey

ISTANBUL — Turkey’s Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu says two blasts after an Istanbul soccer match killed have 29 people and wounded 166 others.

The twin Saturday night bombings inflicted high casualties among police, killing 27 officers, as well as two civilians.

In an address early Sunday, the minister said 10 people had been arrested in connection with the attacks.

Police cordoned off the area as smoke rose from behind the newly built Vodafone Arena Stadium, known colloquially as Besiktas Stadium after the local team. Witnesses also heard gunfire after the explosions, which apparently targeted police officers. The second blast was thought to be a car bomb.

“We have once again witnessed tonight in Istanbul the ugly face of terror which tramples on every value and decency,” Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in a statement.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack. This year, Istanbul has witnessed bombings attributed by authorities to the Islamic State group or claimed by Kurdish militants. A state of emergency is in force following a failed July 15 coup attempt.

Turkey is a partner in the U.S.-led coalition against the Islamic State and its armed forces are active in neighboring Syria and Iraq. It also is facing a renewed conflict with an outlawed Kurdish movement in the southeast.

A taxi driver at the site of the bombings said their force made him hit his head on the taxi’s meter and that his ears were still ringing from the blasts and screams that followed.

“Amid the screams, I heard an officer saying ‘do not shout! Do not make them (the perpetrators) be satisfied,’ ” Ismail Coskun said.

The first and larger explosion took place about 7:30 p.m. GMT after the home team Besiktas beat visitor Bursaspor in the Turkish Super League. Without giving numbers, Erdogan said the timing of the attack was aimed to maximize the loss of life and he vowed the nation would overcome terrorism.

The second explosion struck Macka Park and was believed to be a suicide bomb.

Emrah Gurel / Associated Press Rescue vehicles rush to the scene of explosions near the Besiktas soccer stadium following an attack in Istanbul late Saturday. Authorities have banned distribution of images relating to the Istanbul explosions within Turkey.