ISTANBUL: At least 38 people were killed and more than 160 injured after a  twin bomb attack, apparently aimed at police, outside the Besiktas football ground in the centre of Istanbul.

A car bomb hit a police vehicle and a suicide bomber detonated a suicide vest in quick succession late last night. Ten arrests were made.

The blasts occurred two hours after Besiktas’ 2-1 win over Bursaspor. Two of those killed were civilians and the rest were police officers.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the explosions “aimed to maximise casualties”.

Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus told CNN Turk news channel that “arrows point” to the Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK).

No group has said it was behind the attack but a wave of bombings in Turkey this year has been carried out both by the PKK and IS.

Bursaspor said it knew of no injuries to its supporters.

European federation UEFA issued a message of condolence and solidarity to Turkey and Turkish football.

Previous attacks:

17 February: 28 people die in an attack on a military convoy in Ankara

13 March: 37 people are killed by Kurdish militants in a suicide car bombing in Ankara

29 June: A gun and bomb attack on Ataturk airport in Istanbul kills 41 people, in an attack blamed on IS militants

30 July: 35 Kurdish fighters who try to storm a military base are killed by the Turkish army

20 August: Bomb attack on wedding party in Gaziantep kills at least 30 people, IS suspected

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