Car explosion in southern Turkey kills three

ISTANBUL

A car exploded in southeast Turkey near the border with Syria on July 5, killing three Syrian people, President Tayyip Erdoğan said, adding that initial findings showed the blast may be terrorism-related.

The explosion took place in the town of Reyhanlı, where officials are carrying out inspections to determine its cause, Erdoğan said. He said it was clear the explosion was the result of a bomb inside the vehicle detonating.

Ambulances, police teams were dispatched to the scene.

Reyhanlı is home to thousands of Syrian refugees. Following a series of bombings in the region in 2013, Turkey tightened controls along its 900-km (560-mile) border with Syria.

Twin car bombs ripped through the town, which is in Hatay province, on May 11, 2013, killing 52 people. At the time, Turkey accused a group loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad of carrying out the attacks.

In May, Turkey handed down 53 life sentences without parole to Yusuf Nazik, the man authorities say planned the 2013 bomb attack.