Co-founder of PKK among three Kurdish women shot in the head in Paris

PARIS // Three Kurdish women were found killed with a gunshot to the head early today inside the Kurdish Institute of Paris.

A police source said the bodies of the women were found shortly before 2am inside the building in the 10th arrondissement of the French capital.

"The scene leads one to think of an execution, but the investigation will determine the exact circumstances," the source said.

One of the women was identified as Sakine Cansiz, a founder of the Kurdistan Worker's Party (PKK), by a Kurdish news website, the BBC reported. The PKK has been fighting the Turkish government for 25 years in a conflict that has killed more than 40,000 people. Turkish government officials have been in talks with the PKK's jailed leader, Abdullah Ocalan, to convince the group to disarm.

Another victim was Fidan Dogan, 32, who worked in the institute's information centre, according to its director, Leon Edart. He did not comment on the identities of the other two women.

The three were last seen midday on Wednesday at the centre, which was found locked by late afternoon, according to Mr Edart.