Istanbul, Nov 15: Suicide car bombers attacked two synagogues in Istanbul at almost the same time today, killing at least 23 people, officials said. A militant Turkish Islamic group claimed responsibility for the blasts. One explosion went off outside the Neve Shalom synagogue, the city's largest. The other severely damaged the Beth Israel synagogue in the affluent district of Sisli, 5 kilometres away, where members of the city's tiny Jewish and Armenian, Greek communities live.
Twisted metals, shattered windows and debris from partly collapsed synagogues and nearby buildings filled the streets. The scent of smoke and burned bodies filled the air.
Television footage showed medical teams carrying away several people, some with bloodied or charred faces. Private NTV television showed the twisted wreckage of a car and a huge crater in front of the Neve Shalom.
NTV television said a red car was seen parked just before the explosion in front of the Neve Shalom. Police suspected that the car may have been laden with explosives.
Interior minister Abdulkadir Aksu said 23 people were killed, while the semiofficial Anatolia news agency said more than 80 were wounded.

Bureau Report