MARDIN, Turkey, May 4 (UPI) -- Fighting broke out at a wedding in Turkey Monday evening, leaving at least 41 people dead, authorities said.
The Cihan news agency reported authorities said many more people were injured and the death toll could rise. The carnage occurred at a wedding in the village of Sultansehmuz near Mardin along Turkey's southeastern border with Syria, Cihan said.
Citing Turkish media, The Daily Telegraph said the fighting with automatic weapons and grenades involved the families of the bride and groom.
Local media said the families included members of the Village Guard, a state-sponsored militia created to combat Kurdish separatist guerrillas in the region, the British newspaper said. However, it was not clear whether the battle had anything to do with the militia or Kurdish rebels.
