Iran-bound Turkish train bombed, no fatalities

A bomb explosion has occurred on board a Turkish freight train that was en route from eastern Turkey to Iran, causing the train to derail.

Hossein Qassemi, Iran’s consulate general in the city of Erzurum in eastern Turkey, said on Monday that the incident took place within 30 kilometers (18 miles) of the Iranian border two days before while the train was traveling from the Turkish province of Van.

Citing a Turkish constabulary, he said the attack had not caused any fatalities, just lightly injuring two Turkish railway guards.

The train was carrying iron, tobacco, and MDF to Iran.

The governor’s office in Van Province, meanwhile, blamed militants with the outlawed Kurdishtan Workers’ Party (PKK) for the bombing attack.

Clashes have intensified between Turkish forces and PKK militants in Turkey’s east and southeast since last year, causing authorities to ban passenger trains from commuting in those areas. Freight trains, however, are allowed to pass on a limited basis.

Several Iranian trucks have in the past come under attack in the area.

A recent failed coup in Turkey also forced the closure of the common border to passenger travel.