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Turkey attacks: Deadly violence in Istanbul and Sirnak | Turkey attacks: Deadly violence in Istanbul and Sirnak |
(35 minutes later) | |
A wave of violent attacks hit Turkey on Monday, with five members of the security forces killed in the south-east and a bomb blast in Istanbul. | |
Separately, two assailants opened fire outside the US consulate in Istanbul, but no-one was injured or killed. | |
Four police were killed by a blast on a road in Sirnak province. Shortly after, gunmen opened fire on a military helicopter, killing one soldier. | |
Tension between the Turkish government and Kurdish militants has been rising. | Tension between the Turkish government and Kurdish militants has been rising. |
Turkey also recently announced it was taking a more active role against Islamic State (IS) militants. | |
No group has yet said it carried out any of the attacks. | |
Istanbul attacks | |
The US consulate attackers fled when police shot back, but one of the two assailants, thought to be a woman, was later arrested, Turkish media reported. | |
The consulate said in a tweet that it was closed until further notice. | The consulate said in a tweet that it was closed until further notice. |
In the attack on the police station in the district of Sultanbeyli, a car bomb was detonated, injuring 10 people, including three police officers. | |
Two suspected militants were killed in ensuing clashes with police and an injured police officer died later in hospital, reports say. | |
PKK conflict | |
Following the attack on the military helicopter in Sirnak province, Turkish helicopters bombed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) targets in retaliation. | |
A ceasefire in the long-running conflict with the group appeared to disintegrate in July, when Turkey began bombing PKK camps in northern Iraq, at the same time as launching air strikes on IS militants. | |
PKK leader Cemil Bayik has accused Turkey of trying to protect IS by attacking Kurdish fighters. | |
"They are doing it to limit the PKK's fight against IS. Turkey is protecting IS," he told the BBC in an interview. | |
Kurdish fighters - among them the PKK - have secured significant victories against IS militants in Syria and Iraq. | |
But Turkey, like a number of Western countries, considers the PKK a terrorist organisation. | |
Are you in Turkey? Have you witnessed the attacks? Please stay safe and let us know about your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. | |
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