Scene of the attack
Scene of the attackREUTERS/Huseyin Aldemir

Three Israelis were killed Saturday in a suicide bombing on a major shopping street in Istanbul. At least one other person, an Iranian national, was also killed.

Eleven Israelis are wounded, two severely so, out of a total of 36 wounded victims. Another six Israelis are still unaccounted for.

Deputy health minister Ahmet Baha Otuken had earlier confirmed that Simha Demri was among the four victims of the blast in which 36 people were injured.The attack took place on Istiklal Caddesi, a busy pedestrian thoroughfare lined with shops and cafes that is immensely popular with both tourists and locals.

Israel on Saturday sent two planes to Turkey to bring home its wounded citizens, according to Magen David Adom.

"The aim of the operation is to repatriate wounded Israelis as fast as possible," an MDA spokesperson said.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the explosion but pro-government newspapers blamed it on ISIS, which has been accused of several attacks in Turkey in recent months, including a suicide bombing near the Blue Mosque in January, in which 12 German tourists were killed.

ISIS was also blamed for an attack that left 103 people dead at a peace rally in Ankara in October.

More recently, Kurdish rebels have also staged suicide attacks, striking the capital twice over the past month, killing dozens of people.

AFP contributed to this report