Explosion targeting prison bus injures 7 in Turkey

ISTANBUL – Seven people were injured in western Turkey after an explosive device was detonated Thursday, according to officials.

The prosecutor’s office of Izmir province said in statement an improvised explosive device was planted in a garbage container and exploded at 8:01 am (5:01 GMT) as a bus carrying prison staff passed by.

The injured include the bus driver and six people who worked at Izmir’s maximum security Buca prison.

Izmir governor Erol Ayyildiz said one person was hospitalized but none of the injuries was life threatening, according to the country’s official Anadolu news agency.

Turkey has been hit by a string of attacks blamed on the Islamic State group and outlawed Kurdish militants in the past two years, as the country combats numerous security threats.