Six Turkish soldiers killed in Diyarbakir attack

DIYARBAKIR, Turkey (K24) - A roadside bomb killed at least six Turkish soldiers and heavily wounded several others in the Kurdish province of Diyarbakir on Thursday, reports K24 bureau in Kurdistan of Turkey.

The attack comes a day after a massive explosion in the Turkish capital Ankara that killed at least 28 people, including 20 military officers.

A statement on the Turkish General Staff website states that the bomb went off around 9:30 am local time on the Diyarbakir-Lice road as a military convoy tasked with searching for landmines drove by.

The army statement blamed "members of the divisive terror organization" referencing Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) fighters that have been intermittently waging a guerrilla war against Turkey to secure more cultural and political rights and autonomy.

PKK has not claimed or denied any responsibility for the attack at the time of publishing this report.

After the attack, the Turkish Army shut down the main road between Diyarbakir and Lice to civilian traffic, as soldiers began an extensive operation with aerial support.

One ton of explosives was used in the attack, according to a preliminary investigation conducted at the site, said Turkish Dogan News Agency.

A K24 correspondent at the explosion site some 40 kilometers (25 miles) northeast of Diyarbakir states that several ambulances rushed to the area as more military re-enforcement arrived with accompanying helicopters flying overhead.

The correspondent added that the attack tossed the minibus that was carrying the soldiers 15 meters (50 feet) off the road.

Months of fighting between Turkish armed forces and the PKK resumed after a collapsed ceasefire last July has led to the killing of hundreds of Kurdish fighters, Turkish soldiers, and civilians.

Reporting by Hesen Kako
Editing by Benjamin Kweskin
(Writing by Ari Khalidi)