UPDATE 2 – PKK car bomb attack kills 3 in SE Turkey

UPDATES INJURY TOLL, ADDS STATEMENT FROM TURKISH MILITARY, REVISES HEADLINE

By Halil Ibrahim Sincar and Ismail Cimen

MARDIN, Turkey (AA) – Two Turkish soldiers were martyred and a female civilian was killed in a PKK car bomb attack at a local gendarmerie station in southeastern Turkey’s Mardin province Saturday, authorities said.

In a statement, the Mardin Governor’s Office said the terrorist group PKK was behind the car bomb attack which hit the Cevizlik gendarmerie station.

In a statement published later Saturday, the Turkish Chief of General Staff also confirmed the martyrdom of two of its soldiers and added that 12 soldiers, including one critically had been injured in the attack.

Previous reports suggested seven people, including civilians had been injured in the attack.

Turkish military added that the attack took place at around 1 p.m. local time (1000GMT).

Tension is high in southeastern Turkey since the PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by the U.S. and the EU – resumed its 30-year armed campaign in July 2015.

Since then, nearly 600 security personnel, including troops, police officers and village guards, have been martyred and more than 5,000 PKK terrorists killed in operations across Turkey and northern Iraq.