This is the horrifying moment a woman waved goodbye to her friend moments before the Istanbul attacker detonated his bomb just metres away from her.

The female shopper appeared to be laughing and joking with her companion as she turned to say goodbye before heading towards a shop on one of the Turkish city's busiest streets.

Moments later, a large explosion rips through the busy street, which is lined with international stores and shopping centres.

This is the haunting moment a woman waved goodbye to her friend moments before the Istanbul attacker detonated his bomb just metres away from her

Moments later, a large explosion rips through the tourist area, which is lined with international stores and shopping centres

The video emerged after officials confirmed five people died in Saturday morning's suicide attack.

Two of the five dead are American citizens, The White House has confirmed, with Turkish media reporting two Israelis and an Iranian national were also killed in addition to the bomber.

White House National Security Council spokesman Ned Price said in a statement Saturday: 'We are in close touch with Turkish authorities and reaffirm our commitment to work together with Turkey to confront the evil of terrorism.'

A further 39 people - including at least 24 foreign nationals were injured.

The Israeli citizens have been named by Turkish media as Simha Siman Demri, 60, Yonathan Suher, 40 and Avraham Goldman, 70 by Broadcaster CNN-Turk.

Two of the victims are dual US-Israeli nationals according to a statement released by National Security Council spokesman Ned Price.

A group of Iranian tourists were also among the victims.

Alireza Razmkhah, 45, was killed and his wife, Azan, and baby, Diana, were injured, according to IRNA, the official Iranian news agency. An elderly woman was also wounded in the attack, but was in stable condition, the agency reported.

Turkey's health minister, Mehmet Muezzinoglu, said the 36 people wounded included six Israelis, two Irish citizens and one person each from Iceland, Germany, Dubai and Iran.

Five people have died and at least 36 are wounded after an alleged suicide bomber targeted a tourist shopping area in Istanbul. Above, the scene after the devastating attack

Two men left lying on the floor after the explosion are spoken to by emergency service workers, as one of them clutches his leg

A stretcher bearer pulls a man, identified by Turkish media as Israeli tourist Abraham Rahmi, into Sisli Etfal hospital after he was wounded in the suicide bombing

Rahmi (pictured) is among the seriously injured. Five people have been confirmed dead, two of whom are American citizens, The White House has confirmed, with Turkish media reporting two Israelis and an Iranian national were also killed in addition to the bomber

Istanbul Governor Vasip Sahin would not confirm media reports that the suicide bomber may have been an Islamic State militant although 'detailed' investigations are ongoing.

Earlier, the private Dogan news agency, said the authorities were testing a DNA sample from the father of a suspected IS suicide bomber.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had no evidence that a deadly suicide bombing in central Istanbul had targeted Israelis.

Eli Bin, the head of Israel's rescue service MDA, told Channel 2 TV on Saturday that 10 Israelis were wounded in the attack on Istanbul's busiest pedestrian street.

Footage showed shoppers cowering in shops and running away in panic as the explosion ripped through the street, which is lined with international stores and shopping centres.

CCTV footage showed shoppers cowering in shops and running away in panic as the explosion ripped through the street, which is lined with international stores and shopping centres

‘Very shaken, people dead, awful scenes’: Singer Skin from 90s rock band Skunk Anansie tells of horror after being caught up in Istanbul bombing British singer Skin has revealed the terrifying moment the bomb exploded near her Istanbul hotel this morning. Posting on Facebook, Skin - aka Deborah Anne Dyer, said her building 'shook like paper' and while she and her group were unharmed, they were 'very shaken'. She wrote the message above a picture of Istanbul's iconic skyline taken before a suicide bomber killed four people after detonating explosives at 11am this morning Turkish time. Shaken: Skin, aka Deborah Anne Dyer posted on Twitter that the bomb blast on Istanbul Istiklal Caddesi happened just outside her hotel 'Beautiful Istanbul taken before the horrendous bomb blast that just went off outside our hotel,' she wrote. 'Many people injured, horrific scenes, building shook like paper. My heart goes out to the innocent people and their families caught up in this evil situation. We are ok, very shaken, city is in lockdown, plain clothes police with guns everywhere, scary times.' Later she posted a photo of the site of the blast, where people have gathered to leave flowers, candles and tributes to the three Israeli and one Iranian victims who died. 'Beautiful Istanbul': The frontwoman of 1990s rock band Skunk Anansie said her heart was with the innocent people affected by the attack Tributes: Skin paid her respects to the victims of the bomb attack posting this picture #2IstanbulWithLove Advertisement

Photographs taken of the aftermath showed the street, which is also close to a local government office, covered in blood as tourists and residents battled to help the wounded.

No group has claimed responsibility, but Turkish officials have named both ISIS and Kurdish terror group, the PKK as suspects.

Istiklal Caddesi is one of Istanbul's busiest pedestrian shopping thoroughfares and while it is visited by thousands of Turks and foreigners everyday.

Balo Sokak, the side street near to the explosion is close to an area known for having a heavy police presence in recent years.

The city's governor, Vasip Sahin, said at least three of the people injured are in a serious condition, with a number foreigners from Israel, Ireland, Iceland, Germany, the U.A.E. and Iran caught up in the attack.

Turkish ministers responded by implementing a press ban, leaving Turks relying on foreign media for their news.

Some internet providers also appeared to slow down access to social media in what has become a pattern in the wake of terror attacks in the country.

World leaders have condemned the second terrorist attack in Turkey in less than a week after 37 people were killed in Ankara last Sunday. It is Turkey's fourth terror attack this year.

The street, which had been lined with flags and bunting prior to the attack, was flooded with police as they rushed to help the wounded after the attack

A father and daughter flee the scene, where people have been left covered in blood as emergency services battle to help the wounded

A man and a woman can be seen jumping a piece of police tape as they attempt to escape from the scene

The United States has said it 'stands in solidarity' with Turkey in combating 'the common threat of terrorism.'

U.S. State Department spokesman John Kirby says the attack is the latest in a series of what he describes as 'indefensible violence targeting innocent people' throughout Turkey.

In a statement he added that 'these acts of terrorism only reinforce our determination to support all those across the region working to promote peace and reconciliation.'

Ireland's Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Charlie Flanagan expressed his 'horror and sadness' at the bombing, saying: 'I am deeply saddened by today's horrific bomb attack in central Istanbul.

Shrapnel: Locals gather to inspect the shrapnel damage of shop shutter damaged by the blast

Crowds gather near the site of the explosion on Istiklal Street this evening next to the iconic street tram

Repair: Workmen are already on the scene fixing broken windows at restaurant damaged by the blast

Deserted: The rest of Istanbul's busiest pedestrian shopping streets was deserted tonight

Before: Thousands of tourists and locals visit Istiklal Caddesi every day to shop, eat and drink. Bars and clubs stay open all night as street vendors sell hot chestnuts and mussels stuffed with rice and spices

'I have spoken to ambassador Brendan Ward in Turkey and can confirm that we are aware of a number of Irish citizens among the injured.

'An embassy official is on the ground in Istanbul to provide consular assistance.'

The British Foreign and Commonwealth Office released a statement from Minister for Europe David Lidington that said he was 'appalled' to hear of the attack.

'The UK stands side by side with its Turkish friends at this difficult time and offers any assistance that may be required to track down those responsible. With unity, calm and determination, we can defeat the menace of terrorism,' he said.

The bomber, who was killed in the attack, was planning on detonating the device in a more crowed place but was deterred, officials revealed.

Instead, they are said to have suddenly carried out the attack on the street 'out of fear'.

The mile long street usually thronging with people on a Saturday night was uncharacteristically empty this evening as people stayed away.

Cafes and restaurants were eerily quiet, despite being reopened to the public.

British singer Skin wrote on Facebook that the blast went off near her Istanbul hotel and that buildings 'shook like paper'. She also expressed solidarity with the 'innocent people and their families caught in this evil situation'.

'Istiklal is so quiet you can hear the singing from St. Anthony's', American journalist Patrick Adams wrote on Twitter, referring to Istanbul's largest Catholic Church set amid the hustle and bustle of the busy street.

Eerie: Empty streets in the wake of the bomb that killed five people - including three Israelis and an Iranian

Germany shut its embassy in Ankara, its Istanbul consulates and two schools on Thursday after receiving 'concrete indications' of a terror attack on German institutions in Turkey

Initial findings indicated that the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) or an affiliate were responsible for the bombing although officials said ISIS may be involved.

It comes after Germany shut its embassy in Ankara, its Istanbul consulates and two schools on Thursday after receiving 'concrete indications' of a terror attack on German institutions in Turkey.

Twelve German tourists were killed in a January suicide attack in a historic district of Istanbul.

A car bombing earlier this month killed 37 people and injured 125 others in the country's capital, Ankara.

There were also attacks across the country yesterday. One police officer died in a bomb attack by Kurdish militants while another device was defused outside a local government building.

The country has been on high alert since the March 13 car bomb, in which two suspected Kurdish militants, one of them a woman, targeted people milling near a busy transport hub.

A closer shot shows exactly where the attacker detonated their bomb, as investigators examine the ground and nearby shops

A man who survived the bombing is helped by emergency services, who discovered him on the pavement after the attack

A man is taken from the scene on a stretcher by some of the dozens of doctors and paramedics who arrived after the bomb

Shocking CCTV footage showed cars travelling close to the main square when a massive explosion ripped through the area, setting nearby vehicles ablaze.

The bomb, which Kurdish rebel group TAK claimed responsibility for, had been packed with pellets and nails to cause maximum injury and carnage, a police source said.

TAK, which also claimed a similar car bombing in Ankara in mid February that killed 29 people, has ties to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), against which the Turkish army is waging a major military campaign.

A court in Ankara on Friday evening remanded five people in custody on suspicion of links to last week's attack in the capital.

Emergency services are on scene following the explosion, which happened on a busy pedestrian street (above) lined with international stores and shopping centres

Some people took shelter behind the metal barrier of a shop as police arrived on the scene

Police secure the area following the alleged suicide bombing in a major shopping and tourist district

Two investigators walk towards the scene of the bomb, which has been taped off by police officers

While officials examined the area, police clutching riot shields and wearing bullet proof vests stopped anyone from entering

In a statement, TAK said the bombing aimed to avenge Kurds killed during a ongoing military offensive against the PKK and said it had not meant to target civilians.

The latest events have led President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to vow he will bring terrorism 'to its knees'.

Mr Erdogan said Turkey would use its right to self-defence to prevent future attacks and called for national unity.

He said: 'Our people should not worry, the struggle against terrorism will for certain end in success and terrorism will be brought to its knees.'