Death toll in Turkey bomb rises to 9

ISTANBUL (AP) -- Turkish authorities say a 12-year-old girl has died of wounds from a bomb attack in southeastern Turkey, raising the death toll to nine.

Interior Minister Beshir Atalay said Tuesday that three other children were among those killed when a bomb concealed in a vehicle exploded near a police station in the southeastern city of Gaziantep, near the Syrian border.

Dozens were wounded in the blast Monday night, which came amid an escalation in fighting between Turkish security forces and Kurdish rebels who seek self-rule.

Firat, a pro-Kurdish news agency, says the rebels have denied involvement.

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