Kurdish militants detonated a car bomb outside a military checkpoint in southeast Turkey, killing ten soldiers and eight civilians, the prime minister said. Turkey immediately launched a military operation against the rebels in response.

Prime Minister Binali Yildirim gave the death toll during a press conference in Istanbul and condemned the attack, according to ABC News on Sunday.

"For the stability of our country, we will continue doing everything we can to save our homeland and our nation from the forces of terrorism," he said.

Cuneyit Orhan Toprak, governor of Hakkari province where the attack took place, told that private news channel NTV that 27 others wounded in the attack were rushed to nearby hospitals for treatment. Eleven of them were soldiers, the Turkish military said.

Turkish authorities imposed a temporary blackout on coverage of the attack, citing public order and national security reasons.

Energy Minister Berat Albayrak condemned the attack during a speech in Istanbul.

"I would like to remind all friendly countries that there is great need to take a common stance and display solidarity against terrorism," he said.

Turkey has been rocked by a wave of bomb attacks since last summer that have killed hundreds of people and been blamed on either the PKK or the Daesh group.

Source: MENA