IS linked Turkish man behind Syria border bombing

Ankara 

A 20-year-old Turkish man reportedly linked to Islamic State militants carried out the suicide bombing in the mainly Kurdish town of Suruc near the border with Syria that killed 32 people, a Turkish official said on Wednesday.

"As a result of DNA tests, we confirm that the assailant is a 20-year-old man registered in Adiyaman," the official said on condition of anonymity, referring to a province in southeastern Turkey. 

Media reports had earlier said the man -- identified by his initials S.A.A. -- had first become involved with IS militants two months ago.

Monday's blast ripped through a gathering of activists in Suruc, just across the border from the Syrian town of Kobane which was the scene of fierce clashes between Kurdish forces and jihadists last year. 

Most of 32 dead were university students who gathered in Suruc to prepare for an aid mission in Kobane. 

Turkish authorities are also investigating if there is any connection between the latest bombing and a deadly attack in the Kurdish majority city of Diyarbakir last month.

The Hurriyet newspaper reported on Wednesday that the bomb mechanism used in Diyarbakir and Suruc was similar.