Turkish police officer, courthouse employee killed in blast

A car bomb struck near a courthouse in the western Turkish city of Izmiron Thursday andwas followed by a shootout between three of the assailants and police.

A police officer and a courthouse employee were killed while the gunfight left two of the assailants dead.

The explosion occurred near a courthouse entrance that is used by judges, prosecutors and other employees.

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"A clash erupted after our police officers wanted to stop a vehicle at a police checkpoint in front of Bayrakli courthouse," provincial Gov. Erol Ayyildiz told reporters.

"In this clash, terrorists detonated the car bomb while trying toescape."

Two assailants were killed in the ensuing firefight, he said.

The attackers were armed with Kalashnikov assault rifles, hand-grenades and three larger explosives, according to Ayyildiz. Police found another car with explosives inside, and destroyed it with a controlled detonation, he said.

Ayyildiz said the findings so far suggest the attack was the work of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). The militant grouphas carried out a string of attacks in the past year and a half thatmainly targetedTurkey's security forces.

Ayyildiz said "six or seven" people were wounded Thursday. Earlier reports said as many as 10 had been hurt.

Turkey's state-run news agency said police are looking for a third suspect who was on the run, described as wearing a black coat and a white beret.

The incident follows a string of attacks, carried out by theIslamic State in Iraq and Syriaor Kurdish militants, thathave left Turkey on edge.

Thirty-nine people were killed in a nightclub attack in Istanbul during New Year's celebrations. ISISclaimed that attack. On Wednesday, police had detained some 20 people in Izmir believed to have links to the nightclub attacker who is still at large.

State-run Anadolu Agency said preliminary reports said two police officers were among the wounded who were taken to nearby hospitals.