Turkey strikes back with airstrikes, arrests after twin bombings

Turkish fighter jets have targeted a Kurdish militant group after twin bomb blasts that killed dozens in Istanbul over the weekend.

The Turkish army said in a written statement that, sometime around 11 p.m. local time Sunday (3 p.m. ET), the air force’s jets struck 12 different targets belonging to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in the Zap region of northern Iraq.

Forensic officials work at the scene of explosions near the Besiktas football club stadium following an attack in Istanbul late Saturday, December 10. At least 29 people were killed and 166 wounded Saturday night in twin explosions in Istanbul, according to a senior Turkish official who can't be named because of government protocol.

Firefighters carry a dead body through the roof of the stadium at the scene of the explosions.

Forensic officials work at the scene of the explosions.

Rescue services rush to the scene of the explosions near the Besiktas football club stadium.

Police officers stand inside a damaged bus after an explosion.

A car bomb was the source of the explosions, according to Turkish state-run news agency TRT, citing Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu.

Police officers hug each other after an explosion near the stadium.

A view of Besiktas football club stadium after the explosions.

Turkish police officers cordon off roads leading to the area of the Besiktas football club stadium in Istanbul late Saturday.

Muhammad Karim took this image showing the smoke from the explosions and a video showing emergency vehicles responding to the scene in Istanbul. "Massive Boom in Istanbul. Two of them. In or near Besiktas Stadium," he posted on Twitter.

Istanbul rocked by dual blasts

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The strikes were expected after the Kurdish militant group claimed responsibility for two bombings that led to the deaths of 44 people, including 37 police officers, and injured 155 others, according to Turkish Health Minister Recep Akdag.

The explosions occurred after a heavily attended soccer game at Besiktas Vodafone Arena.

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Turkish official: 38 killed in Istanbul bombings

01:37 - Source: CNN

The Kurdish Freedom Hawks, a breakaway group of the PKK, said in a statement on its website that the Turkish people were not the target of the attack.

After the blasts, Turkish police detained more than 100 pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) officials over alleged links to Kurdish militants in a nationwide operation, state media outlet Anadolu reported.

Authorities took 118 HDP officials into custody on suspicion of belonging to the PKK or producing propaganda for the group, according to Anadolu.

On Monday, Anadolu reported that 26 suspects had been taken into custody accused of “conducting terrorist organization propaganda online.” Of those suspects, eight were taken into custody in Istanbul, seven in Kayseri, and 11 in Izmir, according to the agency.