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14 Killed in Turkey bombings, over 220 wounded

Turkey was hit again by terrorism on Thursday when two car bombs exploded at police stations in an eastern province of the country, killing at least 14 people and wounding over 120.

A bombing of a police station in the eastern province of Van killed a police officer and two civilians. Tens of people, including some 20 police officers, were wounded.

Hours later, another car bomb exploded outside police headquarters in the city of Elazig, killing at least three police office officers and wounding some 100 people.

Video footage from the scene of the attack shows a large column of smoke rising from the area. Cars were overturned and caught on fire, and the windows of a four-story building and its wings were blown out, testifying to the blast’s massive force.

The third bombing, in southeast Turkey, was a roadside bomb targeting a military vehicle that was returning from an operation in the mainly-Kurdish province of Bitlis, killing three soldiers.

Turkish authorities blamed the attacks on the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, the PKK, which has recently carried out several attacks targeting Turkish security forces.

Last Wednesday, the PKK carried out three attacks, killing at least 12 people.

PKK commander Cemil Bayik has recently threatened increased attacks against police in Turkish cities.

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These attacks come as Turkey is still trying to recuperate from last month’s failed coup attempt, which killed some 270 people, and a string of attacks carried out by the Islamic State (ISIS) terror group.

More than 600 Turkish security personnel and thousands of PKK fighters have been killed since the cease-fire between Turkey and the Kurdish group failed last year and the hostilities resumed. Human rights groups say hundreds of civilians have also been killed.

Tens of thousands of people have been killed in 32 years of conflict since the PKK took up arms to gain autonomy in southeast Turkey in 1984.

Turkey and its allies consider the PKK a terrorist organization.

By: Aryeh Savir, World Israel News
AP contributed to this report.