Ten soldiers and eight civilians have been killed in a car bomb blast near a Gendarmerie station in the southeastern Turkish town of Semdinli, local media reported. The area has seen continued fighting between Turkish forces and Kurdish militants.

The death toll from the car bomb blast has risen to 18, including ten military police and eight civilians, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said, according to NTV. Twenty-seven others, including 11 soldiers, are said to be injured.

A vehicle was detonated outside a gendarmerie station in Semdinli earlier on Sunday, according to local broadcaster NTV. The blast took place during car searches that were being conducted at a checkpoint around 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the town center.

Full story: rt.com