At Least Three Killed, up to 50 Injured in Diyarbakir Explosion

At least three people were killed and 45 sustained injuries in Tuesday's car bomb explosion in the Turkish city of Diyarbakir, local media reported.

ANKARA (Sputnik) — The explosion took place in central Diyarbakir when a car bomb detonated as a police vehicle was passing by.

According to Daily Sabah newspaper, a number of police officers and the militants of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), as well as civilians were injured in the explosion. 

Car bomb attack on a police vehicle in the city of Diyarbakir

© Sputnik / Ömer Faruk Baran

The deadly explosion took place at 4:40 p.m. local time (14:40 GMT), the newspaper added.

In the summer 2015, Turkey initiated a military campaign against the PKK in the country's southeastern regions, which have a predominately Kurdish population.

In November, Ankara launched the anti-PKK campaign in Diyarbakir. A curfew entered into force the following month amid growing violence between the militants and the Turkish servicemen. In March, Ankara declared an end to its large-scale operation in the city and its suburbs, as a result of which some 300 PKK militants were killed, according to the Turkish General Staff.