The death toll from the bombings outside a soccer stadium in Istanbul has risen to 38 people, including 30 police officers, Turkey's interior minister said on Sunday, adding that Kurdish militants were believed to be responsible.
“According to the latest information we have received, 38 of our nation's children have reached martyrdom after last night's cruel attack,” Suleyman Soylu told a news conference. He said seven victims were civilians and one remained unidentified.
The two bombs exploded less than a minute apart on Saturday night, in a coordinated attack on police shortly after a soccer match between two of Turkey's top teams.
Mr. Soylu said 166 people were wounded in the double bombings that struck Istanbul Saturday after a home football match hosted by top side Besiktas. He told reporters in Istanbul that 10 suspects had already been detained over the bombing.
Car bomb and then suicide attack
Mr. Soylu said the first blast was caused by a car bomb that struck outside Besiktas's football stadium.
It was followed 45 seconds later by another attack at nearby Macka Park, carried out by a suicide bomber who blew himself up in the midst of police officers.
Act of terror: Erdogan
"An act of terror targeted our security forces and citizens at Besiktas tonight," President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in a statement.
Mr. Erdogan said the blasts shortly after the end of the match sought to cause maximum loss of life.
"We have witnessed once more here in Istanbul the ugly face of terror which tramples down any form of value and morals," he said.
Mr. Soylu said one blast took place outside the stadium and another at Macka Park, a popular meeting place just above the sports venue.
"I heard two explosions in less than one minute, followed by the sound of gunshots," one witness told AFP on condition of anonymity.
Besiktas football club issued a statement condemning the attack and confirming none of the fans or players were hurt.
"Terrorists... attacked our heroic security forces who ensure that both our fans and Bursaspor's supporters are safe. We will stand firm against the vile attackers who will never achieve their goal."
Strategic location chosen
Police cordoned off the area around the stadium immediately after the blasts, which occurred near the Ottoman-era Dolmabahce Palace that houses Prime Minister Binali Yildirim's offices in Istanbul.
The scene is also about a kilometre from the busy Taksim Square, a magnet for tourists.
Mr. Erdogan was in Istanbul at the time of the blast at his residence in the suburb of Tarabya further down the Bosphorus, state media said.
The government slapped a broadcast ban on footage of the attack, as is becoming typical in the aftermath of major incidents in the country.
In June, 47 people were killed in a triple suicide bombing and gun attack at Istanbul's Ataturk airport, with authorities blaming IS.
Another 57 people, 34 of them children, were killed in August in a suicide attack by an IS-linked bomber at a Kurdish wedding in the southeastern city of Gaziantep.
But there have also been deadly bombings claimed by the Kurdistan Freedom Falcons (TAK), seen as a splinter group of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).
U.S. condemns attack
The U.S. embassy in Turkey condemned the latest attack.
"Our hearts and prayers are with the people of #Istanbul tonight," the embassy wrote on Twitter. "We condemn tonight's cowardly attack, and salute the courage of the Turkish people as we stand with them against terror."
Turkey is still reeling from a failed July 15, 2016 coup blamed by the government on the US-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gulen that has been followed by a relentless purge of his alleged supporters from state institutions.
Saturday's attack came after the Turkish Army and its Syrian rebel allies on Saturday entered the IS bastion of Al-Bab in northern Syria, according to a monitoring group.
Al-Bab is the last bastion IS has in Syria's northern Aleppo province.
The explosions also came hours after Turkey's ruling party submitted a parliamentary bill that would expand the powers — and possibly the tenure — of Mr. Erdogan, a move his opponents fear will lead to one-man rule.
