At Least 32 Wounded In Istanbul Explosion

Police investigate the area where a suicide bomber blew himself up in the centre of Istanbul, wounding 32 people.

A suspected suicide bomber detonated an explosive device in Istanbul's main Taksim square, wounding 32 people.

The Turkish city's police chief Huseyin Capkin told reporters 15 police officers and 17 civilians were injured in the attack on October 31, but only nine people remain in the hospital.

Reports said the explosion occurred close to a spot on the square where riot police were gathered in case of demonstrations.

Speaking on October 31, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan stressed that, "These kinds of attacks will not stop Turkey reaching its goals of peace, brotherhood, and development."

Turkish NTV television said a body, believed to be that of the suicide bomber, was lying near the site of the explosion, covered over with newspapers.

There's no word on who was responsible for the bomb, but Kurdish rebels fighting for autonomy in Turkey's southeast have carried out suicide bombings in the past.

Islamic militants, also active in Istanbul, have launched attacks in past years.

compiled from agency reports