Suspects in suicide bombings arrested in Istanbul

Turkey says it has arrested several suspects in the suicide bombings that killed 27 people in Istanbul, but officials released few details about the investigation. Turkey's foreign minister, Abdullah Gul, told reporters in Istanbul he could confirm arrests had been made, but says it is too early to divulge information about the suspects. The Turkish newspaper Hurriyet reported earlier that police had identified the two bombers who died in Thursday's blasts as Turkish citizens. The report said seven other people were detained for questioning. Thursday's bombings, just minutes apart, killed 27 people and wounded more than 450 others at the British consulate, and at an office of HSBC - a large bank based in London. The bank resumed services after shutting down for one day because of the attack. A caller to Turkey's Anatolia news agency said al-Qaida and a Turkish Islamic militant group, the Great Eastern Islamic Raiders Front, carried out Thursday's blasts.

[Information of Voice of America]