Deaths in Istanbul bus bombing

Three people have been killed and nine others wounded in a bomb attack on a bus carrying soldiers in Istanbul, Turkish television has reported.
The blast occurred close to a military housing complex on Tuesday morning.

Local TV showed images of the heavily damaged bus, which was part of a convoy of three buses passing through the Halkali district, a suburb on the European side of the city.
Al Jazeera’s Anita McNaught, reporting from Istanbul, said that the attack took place on an open road on the far outskirts of the city, away from any habitation.
A Turkish news agency reported that one suspect was arrested near the scene, however the governor of Istanbul refuted that claim, saying no suspect was yet in detention.
Authorities had removed the media from the area of the attack after they extended a “security zone” around it.
No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but our correspondent said that this attack shows the hallmarks of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) attacks, which have been growing in number since the beginning of June.
McNaught also said that the PKK has warned that it would “take the fight to the cities” after 12 of its fighters were killed in clashes with Turkish soldiers on Saturday.
At least a dozen soldiers have died in the recent upsurge of violence.

Escalating conflict

The bombing of the bus comes a day after Turkish military forces began a major deployment along the border with Iraq.
Our correspondent said that about two weeks ago there was a similar attack on a police bus, with only minor injuries, on the western outskirts of Istanbul.
Fighting has escalated in the southeast of Turkey, which is predominantly Kurdish, in recent weeks.
It follows increased infiltration by PKK members into Turkey from the mountains of northern Iraq where thousands of the fighters are based.
The PKK, which seeks an independent state for Kurds, called off a year-old unilateral ceasefire and resumed attacks on Turkish forces.
The group accuses the military of offensive attacks and the government of impeding a political resolution of the conflict.
More than 40,000 people, mostly Kurds, have been killed in violence since the PKK launched its armed struggle against the Turkish state in 1984.

Source: ِِِAgencies