A suicide attack in the Turkish town of Suruc near the border with Syria on Monday was likely to be the work of Islamic State militants, a Turkish government official said.

"The Turkish authorities have strong reason to believe that the terrorist attack was perpetrated by ISIS," the official told AFP, using another name for IS.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said a near simultaneous attack near the Syrian town of Kobane across the border from Suruc, "strengthens our suspicions".