Global General

Two wounded in explosion in Turkey's southeast

(Agencies)
Updated: 2011-05-27 15:30

A wounded man is taken to an ambulance following a blast in Istanbul May 26, 2011. A suspected bomb blast wounded at least seven people including a police officer in Istanbul on Thursday, according to Turkish newschannels[Photo/Agencies]

ANKARA - An official says a bomb explosion outside a military housing complex has wounded two civilians in Turkey's southeast, where Kurdish rebels have been fighting for autonomy for decades.

Mustafa Toprak, governor of the city of Diyarbakir, said Friday the injured are in stable condition after the overnight attack.

A day earlier, a bomb mounted on a bicycle went off near a bus stop in Istanbul during morning rush hour, wounding eight people, including a policeman. The government said the attack resembled a Kurdish rebel operation.

There are escalating calls by Turkish Kurds for autonomy and other rights ahead of June 12 elections, as well as threats from the imprisoned Kurdish rebel chief that Turkey faces more conflict if the government does not negotiate.