Explosion Kills One, Injures Eight

A bomb exploded Wednesday in the center of Istanbul, Turkey, killing one person and injuring eight others.

Police Chief Necati Bilican, who is on a visit to Jordan, told private NTV television by telephone that the explosion was caused by a time bomb.

The device was placed under the back seat of a cab outside a state health clinic and not far from a busy shopping mall. The explosion killed the driver and injured eight others, two of them seriously.

No one has yet claimed responsibility for the blast that caused thousands of dollars worth of damage. However, Kurdish rebels and leftist and radical Islamic groups are active in Istanbul and prime suspects.

Around the scene, windows were shattered and other cars were set ablaze by the force of the blast. As emergency services cleared the streets of debris and made the buildings safe, a hunt has begun for the bomber.

Last week, a car bomb exploded in the central city of Cankiri, killing three people. An underground leftist group claimed responsibility for that attack.