Russia’s Consulate General in Antalya confirmed that three Russians had been detained over a suspected connection to IS, state news agency RIA reported.
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Six German citizens, one Norwegian and one Peruvian were among the wounded, the Dogan news agency said.
Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus also said Tuesday that the bomber is thought to have recently crossed into Turkey from Syria. Turkish media, including newspapers close to the government, identified the bomber as Nabil Fadli and said he was born in Saudi Arabia.
Turkish security forces arrested 59 people across the country in a massive raid on Tuesday after 10 people were killed and another 17 injured in a suicide bombing in central Istanbul.
Turkey, which like Germany is a member of the U.S.-led coalition against Islamic State in Syria and Iraq, has become a target for the radical Sunni militants.
Pope Francis has invited the faithful to pray for the victims of a suicide bombing in Istanbul that killed 10 foreigners, mostly German tourists.
A Kurdish splinter group, the Freedom Falcons of Kurdistan (TAK), claimed a mortar attack on Istanbul’s second worldwide airport on December 23 that killed a female cleaner and damaged several planes.
Turkey, which has been vehemently criticised for not doing enough to crack down on IS, in the last two days has arrested dozens of suspected jihadists although it is not clear if the action had any link to the bombing.
On any given day, the heart of this city’s historic district, where the monuments of three empires – Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman – collide with a mix of majesty and tranquility, is a bustling center of tourism, one of the world’s most visited places.
The blast comes a year after a female suicide bomber blew herself up at a police station near the same square, killing one officer and wounding another.
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier told reporters in Berlin that there may be Germans among those killed in the explosion.
According to reports by private broadcaster CNN Türk, the explosion occurred by the obelisk of Theodosius in the touristic Sultanahmet Square in Istanbul’s Fatih district.
Police on Wednesday removed a cordon preventing access to the area of the attack, which was quickly thronged by media and some tourists, an AFP correspondent said.
A German tourist named Caroline said: “The explosion was so loud, the ground shook”.
Ala also said the bomber was not on a list of people wanted by Turkey.
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It is the first time that any recent attack in Turkey had specifically targeted tourists.
