Not less than 5 folks have been killed and 22 others injured in an assault on the headquarters of a prime Turkish defence agency close to the capital Ankara on Wednesday.Â
The 2 attackers, a lady and a person, now “neutralised”, have been allegedly seen on digicam finishing up the lethal assault on the Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), positioned some 40 kilometres north of Ankara.
Varied movies from the assault confirmed them carrying baggage and firing bullets utilizing what gave the impression to be assault rifles.Â
A video additionally confirmed an enormous explosion rocking the headquarters of the state-run firm.Â
🚨 Breaking: Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAS) focused in a lethal terror assault in Ankara.
Studies affirm six killed and over 20 wounded. Authorities suspect PKK involvement.
One suicide bomber detonated on the facility, which manufactures Turkey’s KAAN fighter jets.… pic.twitter.com/dcb1KzOJKu
— Turki (@ElephantsMusk) October 23, 2024
An unconfirmed report by non-public channel NTV mentioned a “group of terrorists” had burst into the constructing, considered one of whom “blew himself up”. Some information retailers reported exchanges of fireplace for over an hour.
Media stories additionally mentioned that the attackers killed the cab driver earlier than taking his car to hold out the assault.
Turkey’s vp Cevdet Yilmaz mentioned 4 of the victims have been TAI staff whereas the fifth was a taxi driver.
There was no rapid declare for the assault however Turkey’s Inside Minister Ali Yerlikaya mentioned it was “very possible” carried out by Kurdish militants.
“The best way through which this motion was carried out could be very in all probability linked to the PKK,” he mentioned, referring to the group concerned in decades-long insurgency towards the Turkish state.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who was in Russia for talks with Vladimir Putin, referred to as it a “heinous” assault on Turkey’s defence trade.
“The terrorist assault towards TAI, one of many locomotive organizations of the Turkish protection trade, is a vile assault concentrating on the survival of our nation, the peace of our nation, and our protection initiatives which are the image of our “Totally Impartial Turkey” superb,” he mentioned on X.