At least eight people were killed and three others injured Thursday when a passenger van hit a land mine in the province of Hakkari in southeastern Turkey, the semi- official Anatolia news agency reported. The van was traveling to nearby Gecitli village when it hit the mine, which was thought to have been allegedly laid by members of the outlawed Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK). The blast severely damaged the van and left many injured in addition to the eight killed, Hakkari Governor Muammer Turker was quoted as saying. Turkish military personnel were dispatched to the location of the explosion. Established in 1978, PKK started its armed struggle in 1984 with the objective of setting up an independent Kurdistan within Turkey's borders. Since 1984, PKK's murders and attacks resulted in the death of about 40,000 Turkish citizens, among whom were innocent civilians, teachers and public servants. 