A bomb attack in Turkey's Mersin province targets police vehicle

A bomb exploded as a bus carrying police was passing by in a southern Turkish city on Tuesday, wounding a dozen officers, officials said.

The blast occurred on a main road in the Mediterranean coastal city of Mersin, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported.

Mersin chief prosecutor told Anadolu that at least 12 officers were wounded in the attack. Three prosecutors were assigned to investigate, he told Anadolu.

Ambulances and fire engines were rushed to the scene, the state-run Anadolu news agency reported.

The initial wounded toll was cited by the private NTV broadcaster, citing sources from the local governor's office.

It was not immediately clear who carried out the attack. CNN-Turk channel said the bomb was detonated by remote-control.

Images of the vehicle published by the Doğan news agency showed a white bus with its windows blown out by the force of the blast, a fire burning still in the back of the vehicle and glass scattered on the roadside.
The wounded were taken to various hospitals in the city, he said, adding an investigation had been launched into the incident.

Mersin, a major port of around one million people, lies well to the west of the PKK's main area of operation in the southeast.