3rd child dies after bomb blast in Turkey's southeast

By Ekrem Payan

SIRNAK, Turkey (AA) - A third child has died following a PKK bomb attack in Turkey’s southeast province of Sirnak, a hospital official said Tuesday.

Ahmet Gerez, nine, died in hospital from injuries sustained in an explosion in the city center of Sirnak on Saturday, the official said on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on talking to the media.

On Saturday, the Sirnak governor’s office said two children were killed and four wounded in the blast.

The PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S., and EU -- resumed its decades-old armed campaign in July last year. Since then, more than 300 civilians and nearly 800 security personnel have been martyred. Around 8,000 PKK terrorists have been killed or apprehended.