7 Turkish soldiers killed, 25 wounded in ammunition depot blast

At least seven Turkish soldiers were killed and 25 others were wounded in an ammo depot blast in southeastern province of Hakkari, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said at a press conference on Saturday.

An earlier statement released by the Defense Ministry said that at least 25 Turkish soldiers were wounded and seven more went missing after an explosion at a military base in Hakkari on Friday.

The accident occurred due to explosion of defective ammunition during artillery shooting, the ministry said late Friday.

It happened at Ortaklar Sungu Tepe military base in Semdinli district of Hakkari province, which is located near the borders with Iran and Iraq.

Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar visited the site later on Friday, accompanied by Chief of General Staff Yasar Guler and Land Forces Commander Umit Dundar.

Some of the wounded have been transferred to hospitals in the capital Ankara by ambulance aircraft to continue treatment.

An investigation has been launched into the incident.