Firebomb Attack In Istanbul

Attackers set a crowded six-story department store on fire Saturday, killing at least 13 people in one of Turkey's deadliest attacks in years.

There were differing accounts of what happened, with Istanbul's fire chief describing it as a methodical arson attack, while the Anatolia news agency cited witnesses who said assailants hurled firebombs into the store and fled.

No one has claimed responsibility, and the identity of the attackers was unknown.

"The assailants forced people upstairs with their guns, poured gasoline in the building and set it on fire," said fire chief Sabri Yalin.

Most of the victims were found on the upper floors of the store called the Blue Market, a fact Yalin said supported his explanation that the victims had been herded upstairs.

He said two had burned to death and 11 had died of smoke inhalation in the building, which had no fire escape.

Six people were injured, and firefighters rescued at least five people trapped on the roof of the burning building, fire officials said.

Meanwhile, the news agency cited some witnesses as saying the blaze began after assailants hurled firebombs from a black car in front of the store. Other witnesses said three men walked in, threw the bombs, and escaped on foot, the agency reported.

President Suleyman Demirel condemned the attack, and Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit said it was part of a campaign aimed at disrupting the April 18 national elections.

The fire raged for at least two hours, leaving just a skeleton of the modern, glass-walled building.

Police immediately beefed up security in this city of 12 million people, conducting identity checks on public transportation and warning people not to take parcels from strangers.

Later Saturday, a bomb exploded setting two cars on fire in a Kurdish-dominated neighborhood of Istanbul, Anatolia said. No one was hurt in the blast. Police detained two suspects, the report said.

The store fire was the second fatal attack in Istanbul in days. On Wednesday, a bomb in a taxi killed the driver and injured another eight people.

Kurdish rebels, leftist groups and militant Islamic groups are active in the city. Firebombings are common in Istanbul, but they usually occur at night and cause no causalities.

Turkey has witnessed a sharp increase in violence since the capture of Kurdish rebel leader Abdullah Ocalan, including a suicide bomb attack and violent street clashes.

Some 37,000 people have died in the 15-year-old conflict in southeastern Turkey between the army and Kurdish rebels seeking autonomy.