Several people were killed and injured as a result of a blast near a university in the Turkish city of Kayseri, Reuters reported citing security sources.

The explosion hit the bus reportedly carrying soldiers from a commando brigade. The bus was allegedly hit near a bus stop at the campus of Erciyes university in Kayseri as it drove by a car laden with explosives, local media reports.

The Turkish Interior Minister said that 55 people wounded, 12 in intensive care and six in critical condition.

Earlier, media reported of 13 people killed and 48 wounded by the blast, citing Turkish military.

"At 8:45, at the time of the terrorist act aimed at the vehicle carrying soldiers and corporals on the pass, 13 of our comrades-in-arms were killed and 48 were wounded. The injured were immediately delivered to hospitals. There could be civilians among the injured," a letter received by RIA Novosti from the Turkish general staff writes.

The Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım underlined that the blast was a terror attack carried out by a suicide bomber.

Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Veysi Kaynak confirmed casualties and stated that the explosion was a car bomb, which targeted bus carrying soldiers. He also noted that it resembles the attack outside a soccer stadium in Istanbul last week.

"Today, a car bomb exploded near a municipal bus, which was apparently carrying soldiers to a market. The attack looks like what happened a week ago in Besiktas. There are injuries, but I cannot say how many were killed," Kaynak told journalists.

Local hospital confirmed casualties after the bus explosion, saying that more than 25 people were wounded. The details of the death toll are not available at the moment.

Allah belanızı versin kansız hain köpekler❗👊💪 🇹🇷🇹🇷🇹🇷 kökünüz kazinacak❗#Kayseri için dua edelim Arkadaşlar:(şehit ve yaralilar var. pic.twitter.com/UjkBChjEqY — Tezcan & BeşiktAşk (@bjkkongreuyesi) 17 декабря 2016 г.​​