A police officer and two assailants have been killed by an explosion that rocked the area near a police station in Istanbul, Turkey's largest city, according to CNN T?rk which quotes Istanbul Police Department.

Seven civilians, two police officers and a deputy police chief have been injured, the department's statement reportedly reads.

A car loaded with explosives was used for the attack.

Other media sources suggest up to seven police officers were wounded, but nobody was killed.

The blast occurred at about 01:00 local time early on Monday in the Sultanbeyli suburb of Istanbul. It managed to destroy part of the police building also damaging a nearby shop and between a dozen and 20 cars, according to reports of different news agencies.

No organization has claimed responsibility for the incident which comes amid renewed tension between Turkish authorities and the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). In July Ankara launched airstrikes on PKK targets in Iraq and inside Turkey, and some Kurdish activists (and also HDP, the fourth-largest party in Parliament) accuses the government of violating a two-year ceasefire.

Ankara started bombing both the PKK and the Islamic State (IS) group's positions in Syria after an attack blamed on IS killed 32 people and injured dozens.

Shortly afterwards Turkish intelligence officials and police warned terror attacks could be expected in major cities.

Last weeks have seen a surge in violence between PKK militants and law enforcement and security officers in the country.

Also late on Sunday, the US deployed half a dozen F-16 jets to the Incirlik base to help the anti-IS air offensive.

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