Five soldiers killed in Hakkari bomb blast

Five Turkish soldiers died after a bomb blast ripped through a busy street in the predominantly Kurdish town of Semdinli in Hakkari province on Friday at around 12.40 am. The blast was directed at military, who have now vowed to clamp down on the terrorist group Kurdistan Worker's Party (PKK), the group believed to be responsible for the attack. One soldier was also injured in the attack. The province of Hakkari sits on the Iran-Iraq border, and is known for being the first port of call for Kurdish militants crossing into Turkey from Iraq and Iran. The bomb is believed to have been detonated either by remote control or by timer. Citing anonymous military officials, the Anatolia news agency reported that the explosives were left in a plastic bag and went off just as the soldiers were passing it. Army chief Hilmi Ozkok heavily condemned Friday's attack. Speaking at a ceremony to welcome back soldiers serving in the multinational peacekeeping force in Afghanistan Ozkok said, "All of us are sad witnesses to the brutal and ruthless bomb attacks the PKK terrorist organisation has recently carried out against both military and civilian buildings and personnel." "Despite reduced authority, the Turkish armed forces are continuing and will continue to fight, with self sacrifice, the terrorist organisation which aims to take our nation back to painful days in the past," he added. Â