Car bomb attack kills 13 soldiers in Turkey

A car bomb attack has exploded outside a university in the central Turkish city of Kayseri, killing 13 soldiers and injuring at least 48 others, the Turkish army has said.

The blast occurred as a bus carrying soldiers was passing by at a bus stop at the campus of Erciyes University on Saturday.

Broadcaster NTV said the bus was carrying both off-duty soldiers and civilians when it was hit by the blast.

The Turkish army said civilians may have also been injured in the blast. 

The office of Turkey’s prime minister imposed a temporary blackout on coverage of the explosion and urged the media to refrain from publishing anything that may caused “fear in the public, panic and disorder and which may serve the aims of terrorist organizations.”

The Turkish government has been effectively in war with the PKK and similar Kurdish militant groups, which Ankara considers a threat to the state.