Explosions rocked two small hotels and a gas plant in Istanbul early today in apparent terrorist attacks, killing two people and injuring seven others.

Hundreds of protesters hurled fire-bombs and stones at police today as they tried to reach the conference centre where Nato leaders were meeting in Istanbul.

Police have smashed an al-Qaida cell blamed for the suicide bombings that killed 62 people in Istanbul last month, the Turkish city’s governor said today.

The US Embassy in Bahrain urged Americans to avoid crowded areas, while in Turkey police warned of terrorist attacks against Western and Israeli interests over the Christmas and New Year holidays.

A police intelligence document leaked today to private security departments warned that militants have infiltrated Turkey to organise new terror attacks.