At least seven soldiers are feared dead after a powerful explosion hit the center of Tunceli, a provincial city in eastern Turkey.

At least seven soldiers are feared dead after a powerful explosion hit the center of Tunceli, a provincial city in eastern Turkey.

Several injuries have also been reported, and ambulances have been dispatched to tend to the wounded, according to local media outlets.

The blast happened as an armored police vehicle was passing through a downtown thoroughfare on Tuesday at approximately 6:00 pm local time. Security sources said an explosive device was planted in a parked car by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). The explosive-laden car was detonated remotely when the vehicle passed by.

The explosion caused a fire in the area, and several cars in the vicinity were scorched. Several of the injured soldiers were whisked to the Tunceli State Hospital.

There is no confirmation on the exact number of casualties, though sources say some of the injured died while in transit to hospital.

Tensions have risen between the PKK and the Turkish army recently, as Kurds across the border in Northern Syria have begun calling for greater autonomy.

The PKK first launched a guerrilla war in 1984 to establish an independent Kurdish state in the region. While the group later dropped its aims of establishing an independent state, it is still fighting for greater autonomy and rights for Kurds.

Media reports say that more than 40,000 people have died in the conflict which has raged on for nearly three decades.