Two people killed and 11 hurt in hotel blasts

BOMBS exploded simultaneously at two small hotels yesterday, killing two people and wounding 11 in an attack that Turkey's interior minister said might be the work of Kurdish separatists.

One of the hotels was only a few miles from where the US Olympic men's basketball team is staying during the final stop of its pre-Olympic tour. The team decided to proceed with an exhibition game last night against Turkey's national team, US team spokesman Brian McIntyre said.

Two more explosions caused damage but no casualties at a liquefied petroleum gas plant on the outskirts of Istanbul, and Interior Minister Abdulkadir Aksu said police were investigating to determine they were linked to the hotel blasts.