Update: 9 Germans killed in bombing attack in Istanbul

Nine German tourists were among 10 people killed in an explosion that hit Istanbul's historic Sultanahmet Square on Tuesday, which Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has blamed on a Syrian suicide bomber.

An official from the Turkish prime ministry gave the figure but declined to be named.

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu also confirmed in a televised speech that all the victims were foreigners and most of them were German tourists.

He said the attacker is a member of Islamic State (IS) group, which is blamed for a number of deadly attacks in Turkey.

Davutoglu also called German Chancellor Angela Merkel to offer his condolences.

Of the 15 injured, one is in critical condition, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus told reporters at Haseki hospital, where he visited the wounded.

He noted that the bomber, who was Syrian origin born in 1988 and identified from the body parts at the scene, recently entered Turkey from Syria.

Turkey has suffered from a series of deadly attacks. In July 2015, a bombing attack in the border town of Suruc in southeastern Turkey left 34 pro-Kurdish and left-wing activists killed. In last October, twin suicide bombings hit the capital city Ankara, claiming a total of 103 lives. Both were blamed on the Islamic State (IS) militant group. Endit