Turkey bomb blast injures 7 in capital city

ISTANBUL - A bomb exploded at a bus stop during rush hour in Istanbul on Thursday, injuring seven people.

Several ambulances rushed to the scene on a multi-lane thoroughfare in a busy commercial section of the city. Television footage showed medics moving a woman with a neck brace on a stretcher into a hospital.

Istanbul Governor Huseyin Avni Mutlu said seven people were injured, none of them seriously. NTV television cited ruling party official Suat Kilic as saying a police officer was among the injured.

CNN-Turk television said the explosion occurred as a bus passed by, shattering its rear windows and injuring passengers in the back of the vehicle.

The explosion occurred near a shopping mall and a police training school. But there was no major damage, suggesting the bomb was relatively small.

Fearing a secondary blast, however, police sealed off the area with yellow tape and bomb disposal experts arrived. Investigators prepared to search for clues.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility.

Kurdish rebels are fighting for autonomy in southeastern Turkey and have carried out bomb attacks in Istanbul in the past. Their jailed leader has warned of more violence if their demands for negotiations are not met after elections on June 12.

Turkey also has a history of attacks by Islamic and leftist extremists.