ANKARA, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- Seven Turkish soldiers were killed in a bomb attack targeting a military vehicle in Ataturk district of the eastern province of Tunceli on Tuesday evening, local newspaper Today's Zaman reported on its website.
A powerful explosion ravaged the downtown area of Tunceli at around 18:00 local time (1500 GMT) and heavy casualties were reported as many ambulances rushed to the scene of the blast.
A plume of smoke could be seen from most parts of the city as the armored vehicle, the apparent target of the attack, caught fire, Turkey's CNNTurk reported.
Security sources said an explosive was planted by the outlawed Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK) on a road in Kanoglu neighborhood of the city, adding that the explosive was detonated by remote control when the military vehicle passed nearby.
The injured soldiers were immediately taken to the Tunceli State Hospital for medical treatment. However, there is no official statement about how many soldiers were killed or wounded yet.
Turkish security forces and police units were reportedly deployed in the area.
The PKK, listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States and the European Union, took up arms in 1984 in an attempt to create an ethnic homeland in southeastern Turkey.
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