The Kurdish militant group, the PKK, has denied involvement in a bomb attack in Turkey that killed ten people and injured around 14 others. Half of those who died in the blast in Diyarbakir were children. The explosion tore through a busy street causing extensive damage to houses and offices. Police said they believed the device was set off by mistake and was intended for police headquarters elsewhere. The PKK condemned the bombing and claimed shadowy elements within the Turkish state were responsible. The party said their aim was to disrupt peace talks between the government and Kurdish separatist leaders. Turkey’s south-eastern region has seen 22 years of conflict between security forces and rebels fighting for a Kurdish state.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke out against the bombers. “Our grief is great for the victims of this terror, especially as our children have been the victims,” he said. Turkish cities, including tourists’ resorts, have been hit by a series of deadly blasts in recent weeks. Turkish officials in Ankara have been discussing ways of combating the PKK with Washington’s recently-appointed envoy on the problem.

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