13 police officers injured in car explosion in Mersin

Thirteen police officers were injured yesterday in a car explosion in the southern province of Mersin. The explosion occurred when police stopped a car which they had been following after a tip-off on the Adana-Mersin motorway. The car's driver apparently set off the blast after realizing he would be apprehended, and he died on the spot. One of the wounded police officers is in critical condition, Mersin Governor Hüseyin Aksoy told reporters and added, "We suspect a suicide bombing." An investigation of the incident is underway. There is no clear information yet on the identity of the assailant and the suspected target of the explosive-loaded car.