The number of dead and injured in the rush-hour traffic car bomb explosion targeting a police bus in Istanbul this morning has not been confirmed, but it appears the death toll is rising, according to reports from Turkey.

CNN cites a Turkish official saying there were 11 people killed in the explosion on June 7th, but official sources have not yet confirmed this to be true.

The bomb went off in the Beyazit Vezneciler neighborhood, a tourist attraction in the centre of Istanbul, and a number of gunshots were heard after the blast, reports Anadolu state news agency.

Tensions

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the latest terrorist attack, however, tensions are riding high in Turkey.

The war between the PKK and Turkish government forces has intensified amid escalated conflicts within Syria that have spilled over the border into Turkey.

The Kurds are fighting ISIS along Turkey’s border, and have escalated their battle against Turkish President Erdogan, who they blame for oppressing the Kurdish minority and supporting ISIS.

In response, Erdogan has cracked down mercilessly on the Kurdish communities, even sending troops into Iraq in an attempt to flank them in Syria. The attempt was cut short by the US, which demanded that Turkey withdraw. It did so under protest, and its military forces have since satisfied themselves with waging a border war along the Syrian front.

There may be another brutal counter-attack in the wake of this latest explosion.