By Shabtai Gold

Istanbul (dpa) - A suicide bombing on Istanbul's main shopping street on Saturday killed five people, including the assailant, as Turkey reels from the second such attack this week.

Among the injured in the blast in Turkey's largest city and economic hub were 12 foreigners, the Health Ministry said.

Health Minister Mehmet Muezzinoglu said at least 36 people were wounded in the explosion near a shopping area on Istiklal boulevard, a main high street in the centre of Istanbul just off Taksim Square.

Israeli media reported three Israelis were injured while Dogan news agency in Turkey said at least one of the dead was Israeli. Seven people were listed in serious condition.

The Irish government confirmed that a number of Irish citizens were injured, the Press Association reported.

Emergency services were rushed to the area and ambulances were ferrying people to hospital. The street was largely closed down by police following the attack just before 11 am (0900 GMT).

A video from a closed circuit camera emerged showing the moment of the explosion which appeared to go off in the middle of a group of several people near a popular fish market.

"I had just ordered a coffee in the nearby shopping mall when we heard the explosion. It actually was not so loud. At first we thought a large piece of furniture had fallen down from a height," said Tolsum Merey.

The street is usually teeming with locals and tourists at its busiest times in the evening, although the morning hours on the weekend often see less shoppers.

The German Foreign Ministry advised its citizens in Turkey to stay in their hotels and pay attention to media reports and official statements following the bombing.

The government was set to convene security meetings, local media reported.

The Turkish authorities instituted a partial broadcast ban on footage related to the bombing and social media websites were being throttled, some users reported. Both steps have become the norm after bombings in the country.

The blast comes as Turkey is on edge, following a massive car bombing in Ankara on March 13 which killed 37 people.

That attack was claimed by the Kurdistan Freedom Falcons (TAK), a splinter group of the banned Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

A similar attack last month in the capital left 30 dead and was also claimed by TAK.

The attack in Ankara this month was preceded by a warning from the US embassy about a potential terrorist act in the area.

German diplomatic missions and schools were closed this week in Istanbul and Ankara following what was described as a "concrete" terrorism threat, apparently from Islamic State.

However, after two days of being shut, authorities said the embassy in Ankara and consulate in Istanbul would reopen on Monday.

There was a large police presence in Istanbul on Friday night, as helicopters with search lights hovered above.

Istanbul's normally bustling night life was relatively quiet with many bars and restaurants in the Taksim area seeing few costumers.

In January, 12 tourists were killed by a suicide bomber in Istanbul in an attack the authorities blamed on Islamic State.

The combined effect of the attacks as well as the war in neighbouring Syria and a diplomatic row with Russia is having a devastating impact on Turkey's vital tourism sector.

Violence has been spiralling in Turkey since last summer. The largest terrorist attack in the country's history came in October, when 100 people were killed in an attack in Ankara blamed on Islamic State.

Meanwhile, the country has seen the conflict with PKK militants from the Kurdish minority reignited after a two-year ceasefire collapsed in July and peace talks were abandoned.

Hundreds have died, including civilians, in the mostly Kurdish south-eastern regions of the country in recent months. Kurds have long complained of systemic discrimination.

Turkey launched fresh airstrikes against the PKK's bases in northern Iraq on Friday and Saturday, Turkish and Kurdish media outlets said.