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Five dead in Ankara car bomb, city governor says Five dead in Ankara car bomb, city governor says
(35 minutes later)
At least five people have been killed and 10 injured by a rush hour car bombing close to military buildings in the Turkish capital, the city governor has said. At least five people have been killed and 10 injured in a rush-hour car bombing targeting military personnel in the heart of the Turkish capital.
Mehmet Kilicer said officials believe the explosion was aimed at a convoy of military service vehicles. Mehmet Kiliçer, the Ankara governor, said officials believed the explosion was aimed at a convoy of military vehicles as it passed close to parliament, government buildings and Turkey’s military headquarters. An official at the armed forces’ general staff confirmed a bus carrying military personnel had been the target.
Plumes of smoke were seen rising over an area and the powerful blast was heard all over the city, sending residents to their balconies in panic. Plumes of smoke were seen rising over the area and the powerful blast was heard all over the city, sending residents to their balconies in panic.
Television footage an intense fire around a burned out bus and emergency vehicles rushing to the scene. Turkish police have thrown a security cordon around the area. Television footage showed an intense fire around a burned-out bus and emergency vehicles rushing to the scene.
A spokesman for the ruling Justice and Development, or AK, party, Omer Celik, said he strongly condemned the attack.
There was no immediate indication about who carried it out. Ankara was already on alert after 103 people were killed before the general election in October in a suicide attack on a pro-Kurdish rally. A suicide bombing blamed on Isis killed 11 German tourists in Istanbul in January.
Turkey is also waging an all-out assault on the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in the south-east and shelling Syrian Kurdish fighters.
The private NTV channel said the explosion occurred during rush hour in an area close to where military headquarters are located as a bus carrying military personnel was passing by.
#SONDAKİKA Ankara'daki askeri servis konvoyuna yönelik saldırıya ilişkin yayın yasağı getirildi. pic.twitter.com/4RYcJPyVWk#SONDAKİKA Ankara'daki askeri servis konvoyuna yönelik saldırıya ilişkin yayın yasağı getirildi. pic.twitter.com/4RYcJPyVWk
More details soon … A spokesman for the ruling Justice and Development party (AKP), Ömer Çelik, said he strongly condemned the attack as a “heinous act of terrorism”.
The Turkish prime minister, Ahmet Davutoğlu, cancelled a trip to Brussels to attend a security briefing. He said the authorities were looking into information they have received about the explosion on Wednesday night.
Turkish police have cordoned off the area and Turkey’s broadcasting agency, RTÜK, has issued a ban on showing footage or graphic images of the dead and injured.
The explosion occurred in central Ankara, in close proximity to the buildings of the prime ministry, the general chief of staff, the Turkish parliament and the defence ministry.
Because it happened during rush hour, authorities fear the number of casualties could increase. According to the health ministry, 20 ambulances rushed to the scene.
Turkish media reported that a second “suspicious package” found in front of the interior ministry was destroyed.
Forestry minister Veysel Eroğlu said on Turkish TV that there was speculation the attack was carried out by “a terrorist organisation”, but he did not name any suspects and there was no immediate indication about those responsible.
Kurdish rebels, Islamic State and a leftist extremist group have carried out attacks in the country recently.
Ankara was already on alert after 103 people were killed before the general election in October in a suicide attack on a pro-Kurdish rally, which the government blamed on Isis.
The latest attack comes at a tense time when the Turkish government is facing an array of security challenges. It is waging an all-out assault on the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in the south-east and shelling Syrian Kurdish fighters, while also helping US-led efforts to combat Isis.
A suicide bombing blamed on Isis killed 11 German tourists in Istanbul in January.