The Turkish government on Sunday (October 1) reported a bomb attack in front of the Interior Ministry buildings in Ankara, attributing it to two terrorists. The incident resulted in the death of one of the attackers due to the explosion, while the other was “neutralised” by authorities.
According to the Turkish media, an explosion was heard in the vicinity of the parliamentary and ministerial buildings, with broadcasters airing footage of debris strewn across a nearby street.
This marked the first bombing incident in Ankara since 2016 and coincided with the opening of a new parliamentary session.
Footage from Reuters depicted a significant presence of soldiers, ambulances, fire trucks, and armored vehicles in the vicinity of the ministry, situated at the heart of Turkey’s capital.
One attacker dead, second neutralised
Ali Yerlikaya, the Interior Minister, took to the social media platform X to provide details, mentioning that two police officers sustained minor injuries during the incident, which occurred at 9:30 a.m. (0630 GMT).
“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 said.
He added that one blew himself up and the other was “neutralised”, which usually means was killed. “Our struggle will continue until the last terrorist is neutralised,” Yerlikaya wrote.
Police also announced they would carry out controlled explosions for “suspicious package incidents” in other parts of Ankara.
Authorities did not identify any specific militant group
Authorities also announced their intention to carry out controlled explosions in response to “suspicious package incidents” in various parts of Ankara. However, they did not specify any particular militant group responsible for the attack.
The incident followed a similar one nearly a year ago when an explosion in a bustling pedestrian street in central Istanbul resulted in six casualties and 81 injuries, with Turkey attributing the attack to Kurdish militants.
Turkey experienced a wave of violence between 2015 and 2016, with various militant groups, including Kurdish militants and the Islamic State, claiming responsibility for several attacks in major Turkish cities. In March 2016, a bomb-laden car exploded at a crowded central transport hub in Ankara, claiming the lives of 37 people.
Ankara’s chief prosecutor initiated an investigation into what they referred to as a terrorist attack.
President Tayyip Erdogan was scheduled to attend the opening of parliament at 7:30 p.m., during which discussions regarding Sweden’s bid to join NATO were expected to take place in the following weeks, after Turkey initially raised objections.
Reports from Turkish media indicated that authorities were conducting security checks at the parliament following the ministry blast. While the entrance remained open, no vehicles were allowed through as a precautionary measure.
(With input from agencies)