A car loaded with explosives blew up in the center of the Turkish capital of Ankara Wednesday, killing at least 28 people and injuring more than 60. The vehicle detonated as a military convoy passed through an area where many of Turkey’s government offices are headquartered, including the parliament and defense ministry. The explosion, which caused a fire and sent dark smoke over the city’s horizon, happened in the middle of rush hour.
The Turkish government said the attackers targeted the convoy, and called the bombing an act of terrorism. Officials did not say who was behind the blast, but Reuters reported that security officials had blamed both the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), the militant wing of the banned party, and the Islamic State. No group has yet taken responsibility for the attack.
Right now Turkey is cooperating with the U.S-led coalition to stamp out ISIS in Syria. The country was last attacked just a month ago, when a Syrian refugee with ties to ISIS blew himself up in a bustling tourist spot in Istanbul. The Turkish military is also in a protracted campaign against the PKK in Turkey and Kurdish fighters in Syria (who are also allied with the U.S. against ISIS), whose militants have targeted Turkey’s military and law enforcement in the past.
This post will be updated as more information becomes available.
