At Least 4 Reported Killed In Istanbul Bomb Blast

Police inspect the wreckage of a military bus after a roadside bomb detonated, killing at least four people.

At least four people were reported killed and 12 injured when a roadside bomb hit a bus carrying military personnel and their families in Istanbul today.

Istanbul Governor Huseiyn Avni Mutlu gave reporters more details about the victims at a press conference in the capital today.

"We have lost four people during a roadside bomb attack, detonated by remote control, targeting a bus carrying military personnel," he said. "Three of the victims were sergeants, one of them was a civilian."

No one has claimed responsibility for the blast, but officials said Kurdish separatist rebels are suspected.

The illegal Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has been fighting for autonomy in Turkey's Kurdish-dominated southeast since 1984, has carried a number of similar attacks over the years.

Today's bombing came after the Turkish military on June 21 began a major deployment of troops along the border with northern Iraq where the PKK rebels have bases.

compiled from agency reports