November 16, 2003 -- At least 22 people were killed and hundreds more injured yesterday when terrorists set off a pair of Sabbath-day car bombs at Istanbul´s two largest synagogues, leaving burned and bloodied victims who had gathered at the city´s largest synagogue for a bar mitzvah.

"There was huge panic, glass exploding and metal pieces all over the place," said Enver Eker, who witnessed the blast that blew a huge crater into the street in front of Neve Shalom, the city´s largest synagogue.

At nearly the same moment, in mid-morning, another bomb went off at the Beth Israel synagogue a few miles away, destroying its roof and sending debris raining into the street.

Witnesses described a battlefield-like scene, with body parts scattered about and bloody victims moaning or screaming for help.

"Only God saved us," Rabbi Ytzchak Chaliwa, of Beth Israel, told The Post.

"The bomb devastated the synagogue . . . I saw my son Yosi´s face covered with blood," Chaliwa, 63, said, adding that the boy would be OK after surgery.

"Only people who are not human - animals - would do this to people during prayer," he said.

The victims included many people passing in the busy streets outside of the heavily protected synagogues, officials said. At least six people inside were among the dead.

At least 22 were killed and another 242 were injured.

It was not clear whether the terrorists were suicide bombers or had set off the twin blasts with remote-control or timed devices, officials said.

Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said there were "international connections" to the attacks, and police were investigating whether the blasts were linked to al Qaeda. With Post Wire Services (Copyright 2003 NYP Holdings, Inc. 11/16/03)