Bomb attack rocks Turkey's Ankara hours before gov. ends summer recess
Turkey's interior minister says that one person carried out the suicide bomb attack while another was "neutralized" by security forces.
The Turkish capital of Ankara was rocked by a suicide bomb attack on Sunday morning, just hours before parliament was scheduled to reopen after a summer recess.
The assault took place near the country's Parliament and General Directorate of Security, which are under the jurisdiction of the Turkish Interior Ministry, located in the capital's downtown.
Attempted terrorist attack in Ankara, Türkiye
— Clash Report (@clashreport) October 1, 2023
An explosion was heard in front of the Ministry of Interior's Kızılay building in Ankara, followed by gunshots early in the morning.
The Ministry of Interior reported that 2 terrorists, in a light commercial vehicle, carried out a… pic.twitter.com/2IQKH6LZqr
"At 09:30 [06:30 GMT] two terrorists in a car in front of the entrance gate of the Interior Ministry's General Directorate of Security carried out an explosion. One of the terrorists detonated himself, the second was neutralized," Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said on X/Twitter.
"Our struggle will continue until the last terrorist is neutralized," Yerlikaya added without providing details without specifying which group is accused by the government of carrying out the attack.
The Turkish Ministry of Interior announced in the aftermath that two officers were mildly injured in the exchange.
Read more: Car bomb in southeast Turkey injuries 8 police officers: Sources
Saat 09.30 sıralarında Ä°çiÅŸleri Bakanlığımız Emniyet Genel MüdürlüÄŸü giriÅŸ kapısı önüne hafif ticari araçla gelen 2 terörist bombalı saldırı eyleminde bulunmuÅŸtur.
— Ali Yerlikaya (@AliYerlikaya) October 1, 2023
Teröristlerden biri kendini patlatmış, diÄŸer terörist etkisiz hale getirilmiÅŸtir.
Açılan ateÅŸ sırasında 2 Emniyet…
The site of the explosion is situated within a strategic area frequently visited by the military's top brass, and its proximity to the parliament building is of note.
Further, in the gunfire exchange that ensued, two police officers sustained injuries.
Security forces were deployed to the scene shortly after the incident and closed down Ataturk Street. Special police units, fire brigades, and medical teams were also dispatched to the location.
Turkish media outlets reported that Ankara's prosecutor launched an investigation into the attack
In light of the bomb attack, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is scheduled to give a speech inaugurating the parliament's resumption of work.
Read more: Turkey detains 49 suspects linked to Istanbul bombing
#SONDAKÄ°KA#AHaber olay yerinde #Ankara #Kızılay bölgesinde duyulan bir #patlama oldu.
— A Haber (@ahaber) October 1, 2023
Ayrıntıları A Haber muhabiri @muratsekbann aktardı pic.twitter.com/oCwLzx77MG