ANKARA, Turkey, Jan. 14 (UPI) — Turkish officials are blaming Kurdistan Worker’s Party militants for the bombing of a police headquarters in the city of Cinar that killed at least six, including a mother and her 5-month-old baby.
The blast in Turkey’s Diyarbakir province happened Wednesday when a car bomb detonated at the entrance of the police complex. Attackers then shot rockets at the building. Nearby buildings were damaged, leading to the deaths of the mother and infant
A 1-year-old girl and a 5-year-old boy also died when a nearby house collapsed. Some of the dead and injured are family members of police who were stationed at the facility.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, though the Diyarbakir Governorate suspects the Kurdistan Worker’s Party, or PKK. Another police station was also attacked in the town of Midyat in the neighboring Mardin province but no casualties were reported.
“I strongly condemn the attack,” Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said during a meeting in Ankara, adding that about 39 people were injured as he offered condolences to victims. “As Turkey, we will continue our fight against every kind of terrorism. While sustaining our fight against terrorism, at the same time, we are resolved to eradicate the resources terrorism feeds on.”
The attack in the Diyarbakir and Mardin provinces follow an attack that killed at least 10 in a popular Istanbul tourist district on Tuesday. Turkey has faced increased violence in recent months generated by the Islamic State and after a ceasefire broke down between the Turkish government and PKK Kurdish rebel militants — which led to airstrikes by Turkey and bombings by rebels.
