Suicide car bomb kills at least 37, wounds 125 in Ankara, Turkey
While no group has claimed responsibility for the attack so far, police suspect Kurdish militants were behind it and Interior Minister Efkan Ala said they had evidence that indicated this.
At least 37 people died and 125 others were wounded after a suicide car bomb exploded in Ankara, Turkey, on Sunday. Two among the dead are believed to be the suicide bombers. As many as 19 of the wounded were in serious condition, Health Minister Mehmet Muezzinoglu said, adding that 30 of the victims died at the scene, while the remaining four died at hospitals.
No group has claimed responsibility so far, but police suspect Kurdish militants were behind the incident, which took place in the heart of the Turkish capital near its ministries, The Associated Press reported. Interior Minister Efkan Ala said they had acquired evidence that indicated a Kurdish hand in the attack, but that they will make an announcement confirming it after the investigation is completed. Two days ago, the US Embassy had issued a security warning about a potential plot to target Turkish government buildings and housing in a particular neighbourhood in Ankara. However, the cab bomb exploded in a different area.
This attack comes weeks after 29 people were killed in a suicide car bombing targeted at two buses carrying military personnel in the city. Kurdish fighters from the outlawed rebel group Kurdistan Workers’ Party claimed responsibility for it. Sunday’s blast was the third attack in five months in the country, which is currently facing a renewed battle with Kurdish separatists, rising threat from the Islamic State and a severe refugee crisis.