The explosion happened during a derby at the Vasil Levski stadium. Stuart Franklin - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images

A policewoman has undergone surgery on an eye injury after being injured in an explosion during a derby between Bulgarian rivals Levski Sofia and CSKA.

Police said more than 20 fans were arrested at the Vasil Levski stadium during Levski's match against their city rivals on Wednesday.

Reuters reported police chief commissioner Anton Zlatanov as saying a bomb had been thrown from the Levski fans' section, also injuring another police officer.

Zlatanov said the officer who had needed treatment was "still in bad condition."

"She underwent surgery but there are many pieces of glass on her face and in the eye," he said.

"Such an act is inadmissible. It's not a firework or a small bomb, it's a bomb. This is an extremely unpleasant and ugly incident."

The derby, which finished in a 2-2 draw, has a history of crowd problems, with a man having died in a blast in 2000 and violence and arrests common. </s> SOFIA, April 18 (Reuters) - More than 20 Levski Sofia fans were detained after a policewoman was seriously injured following an explosion at the Vasil Levski stadium during the 26-times Bulgarian champions' league match against bitter city rivals CSKA on Wednesday.

The policewoman sustained an eye injury and underwent surgery.

"She is still in bad condition," police chief commissioner Anton Zlatanov said. "She underwent surgery but there are many pieces of glass on her face and in the eye.

"Such an act is inadmissible. It's not a firework or a small bomb, it's a bomb. This is an extremely unpleasant and ugly incident."

He said the bomb had been thrown from the Levski fans' section at a door near one of the stadium entrances, adding that another police officer sustained minor injuries.

"More than 20 Levski fans were detained but I can't tell the exact number," Zlatanov said.

The Eternal derby, as matches between the two most popular clubs in the Balkan country are called, ended in a 2-2 draw. CSKA are second in the standings, eight points behind leaders Ludogorets. Levski are fourth.

The fixture has a long history of crowd violence.

A man was killed by a bomb after the game in 2000 and hooliganism and arrests have been rife since then. (Reporting by Angel Krasimirov, editing by Ed Osmond) </s> More than 20 Levski Sofia fans were detained after a policewoman was seriously injured following an explosion at the Vasil Levski stadium during the 26-times Bulgarian champions' league match against bitter city rivals CSKA on Wednesday.

Both the female officer and a male colleague were hit by broken glass from a window that smashed when the device exploded close to the stadium entrance, said officials from the ministry for the interior.

"She is still in bad condition," police chief commissioner Anton Zlatanov said. "She underwent surgery but there are many pieces of glass on her face and in the eye."

"Their injuries would have been much worse had they not been standing behind the glass door," he added.

"Such an act is inadmissible. It's not a firework or a small bomb, it's a bomb. This is an extremely unpleasant and ugly incident."

According to Bulgarian media reports the female officer risked losing an eye. She underwent surgery for damage to her face.

He said the bomb had been thrown from the Levski fans' section at a door near one of the stadium entrances, adding that another police officer sustained minor injuries.

"More than 20 Levski fans were detained but I can't tell the exact number," Zlatanov said.

The Eternal Derby, as matches between the two most popular clubs in the Balkan country are called, ended in a 2-2 draw. CSKA are second in the standings, eight points behind leaders Ludogorets. Levski are fourth.

The fixture has a long history of crowd violence.

A man was killed by a bomb after the game in 2000 and hooliganism and arrests have been rife since then.

In addition to the rivalry on the field, the two teams also have an ongoing political feud, with several Levski fan groups having ties to the far-right and CSKA with to the far-left. </s> Forensic officials work next to bodies in front of a water cannon vehicle on the site where a car bomb exploded near the stadium of football club Besiktas in central Istanbul on Saturday.

Twenty nine people were killed, mainly police officers, and 166 wounded in double bombings that struck Istanbul Saturday after a home football match hosted by top side Besiktas, Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said.

Twenty seven of those killed were policemen and two were civilians, he told reporters in Istanbul, adding that 10 suspects had already been detained over the bombing.

Mr. Soylu said the first blast was caused by a car bomb that struck outside Besiktas's football stadium.

It was followed 45 seconds later by another attack at nearby Macka Park, carried out by a suicide bomber who blew himself up in the midst of police officers.

The Minister said the government suspects the two bombings were linked.

The authorities did not say who was behind the blasts but the attacks were the latest in a year that has seen Istanbul and other Turkish cities rocked by a string of attacks blamed on Islamic State jihadists and Kurdish militants.

"An act of terror targeted our security forces and citizens at Besiktas tonight," President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in a statement.

Mr. Erdogan said the blasts shortly after the end of the match sought to cause maximum loss of life.

"We have witnessed once more here in Istanbul the ugly face of terror which tramples down any form of value and morals," he said.

Mr. Soylu said one blast took place outside the stadium and another at Macka Park, a popular meeting place just above the sports venue.

"I heard two explosions in less than one minute, followed by the sound of gunshots," one witness told AFP on condition of anonymity.

Besiktas football club issued a statement condemning the attack and confirming none of the fans or players were hurt.

"Terrorists... attacked our heroic security forces who ensure that both our fans and Bursaspor's supporters are safe. We will stand firm against the vile attackers who will never achieve their goal."

Police cordoned off the area around the stadium immediately after the blasts, which occurred near the Ottoman-era Dolmabahce Palace that houses Prime Minister Binali Yildirim's offices in Istanbul.

The scene is also about a kilometre from the busy Taksim Square, a magnet for tourists.

Mr. Erdogan was in Istanbul at the time of the blast at his residence in the suburb of Tarabya further down the Bosphorus, state media said.

The government slapped a broadcast ban on footage of the attack, as is becoming typical in the aftermath of major incidents in the country.

In June, 47 people were killed in a triple suicide bombing and gun attack at Istanbul's Ataturk airport, with authorities blaming IS.

Another 57 people, 34 of them children, were killed in August in a suicide attack by an IS-linked bomber at a Kurdish wedding in the southeastern city of Gaziantep.

But there have also been deadly bombings claimed by the Kurdistan Freedom Falcons (TAK), seen as a splinter group of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).

The U.S. embassy in Turkey condemned the latest attack.

"Our hearts and prayers are with the people of #Istanbul tonight," the embassy wrote on Twitter. "We condemn tonight's cowardly attack, and salute the courage of the Turkish people as we stand with them against terror."

Turkey is still reeling from a failed July 15, 2016 coup blamed by the government on the US-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gulen that has been followed by a relentless purge of his alleged supporters from state institutions.

Saturday's attack came after the Turkish Army and its Syrian rebel allies on Saturday entered the IS bastion of Al-Bab in northern Syria, according to a monitoring group.

Al-Bab is the last bastion IS has in Syria's northern Aleppo province.

The explosions also came hours after Turkey's ruling party submitted a parliamentary bill that would expand the powers — and possibly the tenure — of Mr. Erdogan, a move his opponents fear will lead to one-man rule. </s> Two bombs have exploded outside a major football stadium in Istanbul after fans had gone home, killing 29 people and wounding scores more, Turkish officials said.

Police cordoned off the area as smoke rose from behind the newly built Vodafone Arena Stadium, known colloquially as Besiktas Stadium after the local team.

Witnesses also heard gunfire after the explosions, which apparently targeted police officers, and at least 166 were reported wounded.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in a statement: “We have once again witnessed tonight in Istanbul the ugly face of terror which tramples on every value and decency.”

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack. This year, Istanbul has witnessed bombings attributed by authorities to Islamic State or claimed by Kurdish militants. A state of emergency is in force following a failed July 15 coup attempt.

Turkey is a partner in the US-led coalition against IS and its armed forces are active in neighbouring Syria and Iraq. It is also facing a renewed conflict with an outlawed Kurdish movement in the south east.

The first and larger explosion took place after home team Besiktas beat visitor Bursaspor 2-1 in the Turkish Super League. Without giving numbers, Mr Erdogan said the timing of the attack aimed to maximise the loss of life and vowed the nation would overcome terrorism.

“It is thought to be a car bomb at a point where our special forces were located, right after the match at the exit where Bursaspor fans had earlier left,” said Turkish interior minister Suleyman Soylu.

He told reporters in Istanbul the first explosion took place on a hill next to and overlooking the stadium. The second explosion struck Macka Park and was believed to be a suicide bomb.

The private NTV channel reported that the target of the first attack was a bus for riot police.

Kurdish militants often target security forces while IS-linked attacks have targeted tourists and the broader public.

Investigators, including Istanbul police chief Mustafa Caliskan, were quickly on the scene. Forensic experts in white uniforms scoured the vicinity of the stadium and the park where the suspected suicide bombing took place.

The Besiktas sports club “strongly condemned” the attack and said an employee of one of its stores was among the fatalities, as well as member of its congress who was responsible for security at the stadium.

Bursaspor reported that none of the wounded were its fans and issued a statement wishing “a speedy recovery to our wounded citizens”.

Those attacking our nation’s unity and solidarity will never win,” sports minister Akif Cagatay Kilic said on Twitter. Transport minister Ahmet Arslan, also writing on Twitter, described it as a terrorist attack.

Nato secretary general Jens Stoltenberg condemned what he described as “horrific acts of terror”, while European leaders also sent messages of solidarity.

Saturday night’s attacks come five months after Turkey was shaken by a failed military coup, in which more than 240 people were killed, many of them in Istanbul, as rogue soldiers commandeered tanks and fighter jets in a bid to seize power.

Istanbul has seen several other attacks this year, including in June, when around 45 people were killed and hundreds wounded as three suspected Islamic State militants carried out a gun and bomb attack on its main Ataturk airport. </s> Forensic officials work at the scene of explosions near the Besiktas football club stadium after attacks in Istanbul, late Saturday, Dec. 10, 2016. Two explosions struck Saturday night outside a major soccer stadium in Istanbul after fans had gone home, an attack that wounded about 20 police officers, Turkish authorities said. Turkish authorities have banned distribution of images relating to the Istanbul explosions within Turkey.

ISTANBUL -- Turkey has declared a national day of mourning after twin blasts in Istanbul killed 29 people and wounded 166 others near a soccer stadium.

The Sunday statement from Prime Minister Binali Yildirim's office also ordered flags to fly at half-staff across the country and at Turkey's foreign missions.

Twin attacks Saturday night by a car bomber and a suicide bomber near Istanbul's Besiktas soccer stadium were the latest large-scale assault to traumatize a nation confronting an array of security threats. There was no immediate claim of responsibility but one official said suspicions were focused on Kurdish militants.

Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus told the private news channel CNN Turk that "arrows point to the PKK."

He was referring to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party, which has waged a decades-long insurgency.

Two bombs exploded outside a major soccer stadium in Istanbul after fans had gone home Saturday night, killing 15 people and wounding dozens, a Turkish official said, citing health ministry figures. One of the blasts was thought to be a suicide bomber.

Police cordoned off the area as smoke rose from behind the newly built Vodafone Arena Stadium, known colloquially as Besiktas Stadium after the local team. Witnesses also heard gunfire after the explosions. The second blast was thought to be a car bomb.

"We have once again witnessed tonight in Istanbul the ugly face of terror which tramples on every value and decency," Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in a statement.

The official who gave the toll of 15 dead and dozens wounded spoke on condition anonymity because he was not authorized to talk publicly on the issue. He cited health ministry figures.

The first and larger explosion took place about 10:30 p.m. after the home team Besiktas beat visitor Bursaspor 2-1 in the Turkish Super League. Erdogan said the timing of the attack aimed to maximize the loss of life and vowed the nation would overcome terrorism.

Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu, who gave an initial wounded toll of 20 police officers, rushed from Ankara to Istanbul.

"It is thought to be a car bomb at a point where our special forces police were located, right after the match at the exit where Bursaspor fans" had earlier left, Soylu was quoted as saying by Turkey's state-run Anadolu Agency.

Speaking later to reporters in Istanbul, he said the first explosion took place on a hill adjacent to and overlooking the stadium. The second explosion struck Macka Park and was believed to be a suicide bomb.

The private NTV channel reported that the target of the first attack was a bus for riot police and said nearly 70 wounded were taken to hospitals.

Television images showed more than a dozen ambulances on a street hugging the stadium and a police helicopter flying overhead with its searchlights on. The window glass of nearby buildings was shattered by the blasts and coated the pavement. Investigators, including Istanbul Police Chief Mustafa Caliskan, were quickly on the scene.

Taxi driver Ismail Coskun said the force of the explosion caused him to hit his head on the taximeter and that his ears were still ringing from the blast and screaming that followed.

"Amid the screams I heard an officer saying 'do not shout! Do not make them (the perpetrators) be satisfied," he told The AP.

The Besiktas sports club "strongly condemned" the attack in a statement posted on its website while Bursaspor reported that none of the wounded were fans and issued a statement wishing "a speedy recovery to our wounded citizens."

Aleksander Ceferin, president of European soccer's governing body UEFA, and European Union Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn, also made statements condemning the attack.

"Violence has no place in a democratic society," Hahn wrote on Twitter.

The U.S. Consulate General in Istanbul, meanwhile, urged its citizens to avoid the area which is also home to a Ritz Carlton hotel.

Turkey's radio and television board issued a temporary coverage ban citing national security concerns. It said "to avoid broadcasts that can result in public fear, panic or chaos, or that will serve the aims of terrorist organizations."

Cinar Kiper in Istanbul and Rob Harris in London contributed reporting. </s> German police have arrested a man who is suspected of planting explosives targeting the bus of soccer team Borussia Dortmund last week, according to the office of the chief German federal prosecutor.

The man had bought options on Borussia Dortmund's stock before the attack, hoping to make a profit, it said in a statement.

The 28-year old suspect is a dual German and Russian national identified as Sergei V.

The players' bus was heading to their stadium for a Champions League match against AS Monaco on 11 April when three explosions occurred, wounding Spanish defender Marc Bartra and delaying the match by a day.

The suspect is accused of attempted murder, inflicting serious bodily harm and causing an explosion, the prosecutor's office said.

It said he had bought 15,000 put options, or contracts giving him the right to sell Borussia Dortmund's shares at a pre-determined price, on the day of the attack, using a consumer loan he had signed the previous week.

"If the shares of Borussia Dortmund had fallen massively, the profit would have been several times the initial investment," the prosecutor's office said.

The serious injury or death of any of the soccer players could have resulted in such a slump, it said. </s> MOGADISHU (REUTERS) - A bomb killed at least five spectators at a football match in southern Somalia, police and a lawmaker said on Friday (April 13), the first time an explosion has targeted a stadium.

The blast went off in the port town of Barawe, in the Lower Shabelle region, when residents were watching a football match on Thursday afternoon, police said.

"The bomb killed five people and injured a dozen others in the football field. All the casualties were from the onlookers," Mr Mahad Dhoore, a lawmaker for South West state told Reuters.

Police officer Mohamed Aden said the Al-Qaeda-linked Al-Shabaab group was suspected of being behind the attack and put the number of dead at four and wounded at 12.

"We believe Al-Shabaab was behind (the blast) and that the target was officials who were not seated there at the time of the match. The bomb looked like a remotely controlled one that was planted there," officer Aden told Reuters from Barawe. </s> Fernando Varela broke the scoreless deadlock with a header in the 90th minute, putting the hosts on top, but the referee, who first signaled a score, then seemed to indicate an offside causing a frenzy in the stands.

The owner, Ivan Savvidis, invaded the pitch twice accompanied by bodyguards. On the second occasion, he took off his coat, revealing what appeared to be a pistol in a holster on his hip.

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The match had to be suspended and was later declared a 0-0 tie, while referee Giorgios Kominis said the Greek-Russian businessman threatened him.

Russian-born Greek businessman and owner of PAOK Salonika, Ivan Savvides (C), pictured with what appears to be a gun in a holster, enters the pitch after the referee annulled a goal of PAOK during their soccer match against AEK Athens in Toumba Stadium in Thessaloniki, Greece, March 11, 2018

Kominis reportedly changed his decision to allow the goal for PAOK, and the league website currently has the result listed as a 1-0 win for the home team.

An arrest warrant has been issued on Savvidis, as well as four other people, but Skai TV reports it only concerns the pitch invasion itself.

The 59-year old reportedly does have a license; however, even police officers on duty are not allowed to carry firearms inside football stadiums in Greece.
A bomb explodes at a football match between Bulgarian rivals Levski Sofia and CSKA at the Vasil Levski National Stadium in Sofia, injuring two police officers, one seriously. It is the second time a match between the two has seen an explosion, with a similar incident killing a man in 2000.