15 wounded in bomb attack on police in Istanbul

15 wounded in attack in Turkey

ISTANBUL — A roadside bomb attack on a police vehicle in Istanbul lightly wounded 15 people on Tuesday, Turkish police and news reports said.

The bomb went off in the Kucukcekmece district, on the outskirts of the city, as the vehicle was passing. Police officers in the vehicle and a number of passers-by were hurt.

Istanbul police chief Huseyin Capkin told the state-run Anatolia news agency that none of the injuries was serious. He said police were investigating whether the bomb was exploded by remote control.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but Kurdish rebels who have carried out similar attacks on police in the past have recently intensified their activities. Kurdish rebel chief Abdullah Ocalan said last week he had abandoned efforts to seek dialogue with Turkey.

Radical leftist and Islamic groups also operate in the city.

“There is no information on the culprits for now. We will work to find them,” Capkin said.