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Four dead after suicide bomb attack in central Istanbul

An explosion has rocked the main shopping district in central Istanbul, killing at least four people and injuring a number of others.

A suicide bomber detonated an explosive in Istikal Street, a pedestrianised boulevard lined with international stores and shopping centres.

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Turkey: Islamic State behind Istanbul suicide bomb

Turkish police cordoned off parts of Istiklal Avenue after a suicide attack on a major shopping street in Istanbul on Saturday Credit: PA Photos

So-called Islamic State were behind Saturday's suicide bomb that killed five people and wounded 36 in Istanbul, says the Turkish Interior Minister.

The bomber, who died in the attack, has been named as Mehmet Ozturk, born in 1992 in Gaziantep, a province in south-central Turkey.

"We have determined that Mehmet Ozturk, born in 1992 in Gaziantep, has carried out the heinous attack on Saturday in Istanbul. It has been established that he is a member of Daesh," Turkey's Interior Minister, Efken Ala told reporters.

Five other people have been detained over Saturday's suicide bombing, officials said.

Israel has confirmed that three of its citizens died in the blast. Two of them held dual citizenship with the United States. An Iranian was also killed, Turkish officials have said.

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