ANKARA: Turkish police detained two female pro-Kurdish lawmakers on Tuesday as a crackdown intensified after a deadly Istanbul bombing that raised questions about Ankara`s strategy in fighting separatist militants.

The detentions came after twin blasts hit Istanbul on Saturday killing 37 police ofñcers and seven civilians, which were claimed by the Kurdistan Freedom Falcons (TAK). TAK is seen as a radical offshoot of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers` Party (PKK).

The two women, Caglar Demirel and Besime Konca, who represent the southeastern Kurdishmajority cities of Diyarbakir and Siirt respectively, were held as part of a sweeping anti-terrorprobe, state news agency Anadolu said.

`Head of the party`s parliamentary group Caglar Demirel and Siirt MP Besime Konca were unlawfully detained in front of our (Ankara) headquarters,`theleftwingpro-KurdishPeoples` Democratic Party (HDP) said on Twitter.

Konca was taken to court in the southeastern province of Batman, Dogan news agency reported, where she was released under `judicial control`, the equivalent of being freed under supervision.

An investigation had been launched into the MP after she allegedly spoke at the funeral of a man killed during security operations against Kurdish rebels in Diyarbakir, the agency said.Police launched a nationwide operation on Monday, detaining individuals accused of PKK linksorofproducingpropagandaforthe group, which is proscribed as a terror organisation by Ankara, the European Union and the United States.

The interior ministry said 235 people were detained. The HDP said on Monday that at least 291 of its members had been taken into custodyinless than24 hours.

There was no let up on Tuesday as the CNN Turk broadcaster reported that eight HDP officials including district party chiefs in the western province of Balikesir were detained as part of the PKK probe.-AFP