ISTANBUL, Turkey - Turkish police have detained eight people allegedly linked to Kurdish rebels for bomb attacks against two hotels in Istanbul and a liquefied gas plant, police officials said today.

A previously unknown Kurdish group claimed responsibility for the pre-dawn bomb attacks Tuesday that killed two people and wounded 11 others. An al-Qaida-linked group also claimed responsibility in a statement posted on a Web site, but Turkish authorities cast doubt on that claim, saying Kurdish separatists were suspected.

Police officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said authorities were questioning the eight, who were detained Tuesday and today and suspected of links to militant Kurdish groups, about the bombings.

An Iranian and a Turk were killed in the bombings at the two hotels, inexpensive lodging popular among foreign tourists. The wounded included four Spanish tourists, two Dutch tourists, a Ukrainian and two Chinese tourists, authorities said.

A senior Turkish police official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said authorities had no information to suggest any links to al-Qaida, and police suspected Kurdish rebels.

Another police official, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, said that explosives used in Tuesday's attacks were similar to those used in a July car bombing in eastern Van province that killed three people and wounded two dozen others. That attack was blamed on Kurdish militants, who denied involvement.

The Sabah newspaper, citing police sources, reported today that the detonator in the attacks matched the one used in an assassination attempt against the governor of Tunceli province last year. Four Kurdish militants were arrested this week in connection with that attack.

The Germany-based Mezopotamya News Agency, which often reports rebel statements, said Tuesday it received a telephone call from an individual claiming responsibility for the attacks in the name of the Kurdistan Freedom Falcons Organization.