EU country makes arrests after Istanbul bombing

Bulgaria has detained five people suspected of aiding the attackers

Five people have been detained in Bulgaria in connection with the fatal bombing in downtown Istanbul, Siyka Mileva, a spokeswoman for the Bulgarian Prosecutor General’s office, said on Saturday.

According to the broadcaster BNT, three of the detainees are Moldovan nationals, while the other two, a man and a woman, are of “Arab origin.” They were charged with helping the perpetrator of the attack flee Türkiye by offering logistical support and communication.

A bomb went off on a popular tourist street in Türkiye’s largest city on Sunday, killing six people and injuring more than 80.

The Turkish authorities said that the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), a Kurdish group listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the US and EU, was responsible for the attack. The PKK denied any involvement.

On Friday, a court in Istanbul authorized the jailing of 17 suspects pending trial, including a Syrian woman named Ahlam Albashir, who is accused of planting explosives at the scene.

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Turkish media reported that Istanbul police had detained on Saturday eight more people in connection with the explosion. It was said that two of the suspects had helped Albashir and another alleged perpetrator illegally enter the country.