Alalam - Asia
61 people, military and civilians were killed and wounded on Saturday in a car bombing targeting off-duty soldiers travelling on a bus in the central Turkish city of Kayseri, the latest in a string of attacks in Turkey in recent weeks.
Television pictures showed that the bus had been reduced to a smouldering wreck by the impact of the blast.
The explosion comes a week after 44 people were killed on December 10 in a double bombing in Istanbul after a football match. The attack was claimed by Kurdish militants.
Deputy Prime Minister Veysi Kaynak said in televised comments that the attack in Kayseri was "unfortunately similar" to last weekend's strikes in Istanbul.
VIDEO: 13 Turkish Soldiers Killed, 48 More Injured in Turkey Kayseri Blast
"Unfortunately we have people wounded, whether there are fatalities... will be announced later," he said.
The Dogan news agency said that the blast took place opposite the Erciyes University in the city. NTV television said there could be fatalities as a result of the blast.
The state-run Anadolu news agency said that the bus was owned by the municipal transport authorities in Kayersi but was transporting Turkish soldiers who had taken permission to go to a local market for the day.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been informed of the attack by the chief of staff General Hulusi Akar, Anadolu added. Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu was on his way to the city.
The bomb placed in a car went off as the bus was driving by, the Dogan news agency said.
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