Suicide bomber blast takes 2 lives

ISTANBUL, Turkey - A suicide bomber set off an explosive in front of a police post yesterday, killing two policemen, injuring 21 people and creating panic in Istanbul's nearby main square, a popular destination for tourists.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast, which created such a gruesome scene that police dashed to the area and covered bloody body parts with newspaper, putting stones on top to prevent the paper from blowing away.

Police identified the dead bomber as Ugur Bulbul, who was released from prison six months ago after serving time for membership in a banned Marxist group, the Revolutionary People's Liberation Party-Front.

The group is leading a year-long hunger strike to protest prison conditions. Thirty-three people have died while fasting.

It would not be the first time that the group carried out a suicide attack. In January, a member of the group blew himself up in a police cafeteria and killed an officer to protest prison conditions.