The death toll in the bomb attack near an Istanbul soccer stadium has risen to 44 people – 36 police officers and eight civilians, Health Minister Recep Akdag said.

Saturday night’s attack appeared to target police forces near the Vodafone Arena, which lies on the European side of the city, home to Besiktas. A car bomb was followed by a suicide bombing, shortly after a game had concluded.

The Kurdistan Freedom Falcons (TAK), a shadowy hardline Kurdish militia, claimed the attack, saying two of its members died carrying out the bombings.

The group said the blasts were in response to the government’s military actions in the mostly Kurdish south-east of the country.

The government has vowed to rid the country of terrorism.

“Our duty is to erase them from this geography forever,” Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said, calling the attackers “lowlifes”.

Western diplomats were among those who went to the blast site to pay condolences. Religious groups, football fans and ordinary citizens laid wreaths.

Funerals have been under way for the past day and continued into Monday in various cities around the country.

Peace talks between the state and the armed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), the dominant militia and a key political force, broke down last year, with the government saying it will not return to negotiations.

More than 2400 people have been killed in the past 18 months, including members of the Turkish security forces, militants and civilians. Since 1984, the death toll exceeds 40,000.