Story highlights
- Two Turkish soldiers and one civilian killed
- 7 others injured in car bombing
(CNN)At least three people were killed and seven others were injured in a car bombing at a police station in southeastern Turkey Saturday, according to state-run news agency Anadolu.
A security source and local officials said the blast in Mardin was the work of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), Anadolu reported.
"Mardin governorship said in a statement that two Turkish soldiers were martyred and one female civilian was killed when a PKK car bomb exploded at Cevizlik gendarmerie station. Seven people were injured -- three critically -- in the attack," the agency reported.
The bombing comes just weeks after ISIS carried out a major attack on Istanbul's main airport that left 44 people dead.
Searching for clues in Turkey Attack 04:01
The PKK, which seeks an independent state in Turkey, has been in an armed struggle with Ankara for decades and has been designated a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States and EU. The group claims to represent Turkey's largest ethic group, the Kurds, who make up an estimated 20% of the population.
The PKK has claimed responsibility for attacks on military and police targets in the past. It generally does not target civilians.
A peace process crumbled last year, leading to fresh clashes in a number of different towns and cities in southeastern Turkey, with Turkish security forces imposing controversial curfews on predominantly Kurdish cities, contributing to a spike in tensions.
