A car bomb killed eight soldiers and injured five others in southeast Turkey on Sunday, the army said.
The bomb exploded at a police station in Hakkari, a town 77 kilometers (48 miles) from the Iraqi border, the Turkish army said in a statement.
No one has claimed responsibility for the attack. However, the Turkish army said the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) played a role in the bombing.
“[T]his morning at 9:45, separatist terrorist organization members organized the attack,” the army said.
The Turkish army has launched an operation to find those behind the attack.
The PKK, one of Turkey’s main enemies, says it represents the largest ethic group, the Kurds, who make up an estimated 20% of the nation’s population.
A peace process crumbled last year, leading to Turkish security forces imposing controversial curfews on predominantly Kurdish cities, contributing to a spike in tensions.