At least 44 people have been killed in an attack on a wedding party in south-eastern Turkey, officials say.

官员称，土耳其东南部的婚礼遭到袭击，至少44人被杀。

Mask-wearing assailants（攻击者） opened fire with automatic rifles and grenades, officials in Mardin province said.

Local media reported wedding guests included members of a militia¹（义勇军，自卫军） who help troops to fight Kurdish rebels - though officials did not confirm the claims.

Other reports suggested that the deaths were a result of a fight between families of the bride and groom².

The BBC's David O'Byrne in Istanbul says six children appear to be among those killed in the attack, in the village of Bilge Koyu about 20km (12 miles) from the city of Mardin.

One relative who took the body of his nephew to a hospital said the site of the attack was horrifying³.

"You could not believe your eyes," Ahmet Can told Channel 24.

Ferhat Ozen, deputy governor of Mardin province, said the assailants stormed into a house where wedding guests had been assembled, firing automatic rifles and throwing hand grenades（手榴弹）.

Paramilitary police were sent to the village to pursue the attackers, he said.

Officials have said the attack was not terrorism-related, which our correspondent says would appear to rule out an attack by rebels from the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

Kurdish rebels have been battling for more autonomy（自治） since 1984 in the south of Turkey - an insurgency⁴（起义） which as claimed more than 40,000 lives.

Our correspondent says the region is also one where tribal⁵（部落的，种族的） and family loyalties⁶ also run deep.