Explosion rocks Turkish police HQ, martyrs 2 officers

GAZIANTEP, Turkey

A car bomb outside a police headquarters in southeastern Turkey has martyred two officers and injured 22 people, health sources have told Anadolu Agency.

Sunday's blast in the southeastern province of Gaziantep injured 18 police officers and four civilians.

Gaziantep Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office has imposed a media ban on broadcasting pictures and video footage from the scene of the blast.

According to a statement issued by Turkey's Supreme Board of Radio and Television, the ban includes live broadcasts from the blast site, footage from the time the blast took place and afterwards, plus showing images of bodies.

Gaziantep Governor Ali Yerlikaya stated that a car laden with explosives blew up in front of the local police HQ at 9.20 a.m. local time [0620 GMT].

The explosion was heard across the city, shattering windows in nearby buildings.

Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has offered his condolences to the relatives of the martyred police officers, describing the attack as "atrocious".