Kurdish militants in Turkey claimed responsibility on Friday for a rush hour car bomb in Istanbul and warned foreign tourists to stay away from the country.

The attack targeted a police bus near the city’s famed Grand Bazaar on Tuesday, killing eleven people.

The Kurdish Freedom Falcons (TAK), a shadowy splinter group from the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), described the bombing as revenge for the army’s operations in the southeast and told tourists not visit Turkey for their own safety.

The statement said the attack was a "sacrifice action", implying it was a suicide bombing. It did not give further details.