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PKK denies responsibility for deadly Ankara explosion

21 September 2011 18:25 (UTC +04:00)

The PKK has nothing to do with the explosion that killed three civilians and wounded 34 others, the Peopleâ€™s Defense Forces (HPG), armed wing of the PKK, said in a statement.

"Attempts to hold the PKK responsible for the attack are aimed at boosting enmity against the Kurds," the statement said.

An explosion ripped through a street in the Turkish capital of Ankara early Tuesday in a neighborhood housing government buildings, killing three people and injuring 34 others.

Turkish security forces and officials suspected that the attack was carried out by the PKK.

Meanwhile, about 2,000 Turkish troops launched a massive operation against the PKK in the mountainous eastern province of Tunceli, after a large group of PKK rebels were detected in the area, reported Turekyâ€™s CNN Turk, citing unnamed military sources on Wednesday.

It was reportedly the largest anti-PKK operation in Tunceli in recent years, which is far from the Iraqi border.