Two 'terrorists' carry out bomb attack in Turkey's Ankara
Members of Turkish Police Special Forces secure the area following an explosion near the Interior Ministry in Ankara, Turkey October 1, 2023. PHOTO: REUTERS
Turkey's government said two terrorists carried out a bomb attack on Sunday in front of the Interior Ministry buildings in Ankara, leaving both of them dead and wounding two police officers in the capital city's first blast in years.
They drove up to the building's main entrance and set off the explosion in the area that is home to ministerial buildings and parliament, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said. The blast killed one of the attackers and authorities "neutralised" the other, he added.
"Two terrorists came with a light commercial vehicle in front of the entrance gate of the General Directorate of Security of our Ministry of Internal Affairs and carried out a bomb attack," he wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
"Our struggle will continue until the last terrorist is neutralised," Yerlikaya wrote.
Turkish media earlier reported that an explosion was heard near the parliament and ministerial buildings, and broadcasters showed footage of debris scattered on a street near the Interior Ministry.
At least police officers were injured in the explosion, officials confirmed.
Reuters footage after the blast showed a Renault cargo vehicle parked, windows shattered and doors open, amid debris scattered on the street surrounded by soldiers, police, ambulances, fire trucks and armoured vehicles.
The bomb on Ataturk Boulevard was the first in Ankara since 2016, and comes on the day that President Tayyip Erdogan is set to attend the opening session of parliament, located one kilometre (mile) away.
A senior Turkish official told Reuters the attackers had hijacked the vehicle and killed its driver in Kayseri, a city 260km southeast of Ankara, before carrying out the attack. One of the injured officers suffered shrapnel injuries, he added.
"Two terrorists came with a light commercial vehicle in front of the entrance gate of the General Directorate of Security of our Ministry of Internal Affairs and carried out a bomb attack," the interior minister, wrote on X.
He added that one blew himself up and the other was "neutralised", which usually means was killed, while the two officers were slightly injured in the incident at 9.30am.