A series of explosions rocked Istanbul, the Turkish capital, on Thursday, killing at least seven persons and injuring scores of others.

A CNN report said one blast destroyed part of the HSBC Bank headquarters and a second hit a site near the British consulate. A third was reported outside a popular shopping mall.

Part of the British consulate has been destroyed in one of the explosions.

The latest blasts come just five days after two suicide bombings at synagagues in Istanbul killed 20 people and injured more than 300.

Also see: Car bombs kill 20 in Turkey synagogues

British Foreign Minister Jack Straw said he had information that there were as many as five coordinated explosions in the city which were "a clearly appalling act of terrorism."

"At this stage we can't say who is responsible," he said, but added the blasts bore "all the hallmarks" of the international terrorism of Al Qaeda and associated groups.