Saudi King, Crown Prince offer condolences to President of Turkiye over deadly blast

Riyadh, The Gulf Observer: Saudi Arabia’s King Salman sent a cable of condolences to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan over victims of the terrorist attack that killed at least 6 people and injured dozens in Istanbul’s busy Istiklal Street, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Monday.

“We strongly condemn this criminal act and We send to Your Excellency, the families of the deceased and the Turkish people, our deepest and sincere condolences,” the king said, wishing the injured a speedy recovery.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman also sent a similar cable to the Turkish president.

At least were 81 injured in an explosion on Sunday in the popular tourist area.

Videos posted on social media showed bodies lying on the ground following the blast at around 4:20 p.m. local time.

Confirming casualty numbers, Erdogan described the explosion as an “attack.”

The person who planted the bomb has been arrested, Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu told Turkey’s official Anadolu news agency on Monday.

Sunday’s blast was the deadliest since December 2016.

Al-Qaeda, Daesh, and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) have all claimed responsibility for recent terror attacks in Turkiye.