There has been a blast in Taksim Sq. at around 9:40 AM Turkish local time, very close to the police forces stationed in the area. Initial information suggests the blast was an attack carried out by a suicide bomber, who died at the spot. 12 citizens and 10 police officers have been wounded in the attack.

The blast occurred in Taksim square where riot police had been gathering in preparations for possible demonstrations. Police chief Huseyin Capkin said ten police officers had been injured in the attack, including two policemen in a serious condition.

The attacker attempted to board a police minibus in Taksim Square in the Turkish city today, Huseyin Capkin, the city’s police chief, told the television channel earlier today. It wasn’t immediately clear who was responsible for the blast. Kurdish, leftist and Islamist groups have carried out attacks in the city in the past.

Medical teams and additional forces have been referred to the area.

Police have cordoned off the area around Taksim Square where the blast occurred on Sunday morning.

TV footage showed a body, believed to be that of the suicide bomber, lying near the site of the explosion, covered over with newspapers.

The attack was an attempt to “disturb peace, destroy the stability and safety environment in Turkey, but this won’t be tolerated,” said Erdogan from the southern province of Mardin, NTV television reported.