Turkey: 1 soldier killed, 10 wounded as car bomb explodes near military facility

One soldier was killed while 10 others sustained injuries after a car bomb exploded near a military installation in southeast Turkey. The blast was allegedly carried out by the Kurdistan Party Workers (PKK) at around 1am local time (10pm GMT) on 4 May.

Turkish military confirmed that PKK was behind the attack near the gendarmerie base of Mardin province, close to the Syrian border. A number of fire fighters, paramedics and rescue teams were deployed at the scene. Two of the wounded soldiers were taken to hospital where they are said to be in a critical condition, the Hurriyet newspaper reported.

Some of the houses nearby were reportedly damaged due to the explosion. In the recent past, a series of bomb attacks have created panic in Turkey. Islamic State (Isis) militants have been blamed for setting off two blasts in Turkey's largest city Istanbul, while two other attacks in capital Ankara were claimed by Kurdish militant groups.

Post the collapse of the ceasefire between PKK fighters and the Turkey government at least 42 militants have been killed in airstrikes in northern Iraq and clashes in southeast Turkey. Since the 1984 insurgency, more than 40,000 people have been killed in the fight between Kurdish fighters and Turkey.

On 1 May, a deadly explosion ripped through the city of Samawah wherein at least 18 people died while 40 others were wounded.