'Terrorist attack' targets heart of Ankara: Turkey's minister

Turkey's interior minister says an explosion near Turkey's parliament in Ankara was a “terrorist attack” that left two police officers injured.

One of the terrorists died in the explosion and the other was “neutralized” by authorities there, Ali Yerlikaya said in a post on the social media platform X on Sunday.

Two police officers were “slightly injured” in the fire caused by the blast, he added.

Turkish media earlier reported that a loud explosion was heard near the Parliament and ministerial buildings, and broadcasters showed footage of debris scattered on a street near the Interior Ministry. Some reports said the explosion was followed by gunfire.

Yerlikaya said a commercial vehicle carried out the bomb attack at the entrance gate of the Interior Ministry's General Directorate of Security.

The attack occurred hours before Parliament was scheduled to reopen following a summer recess. All Parliament members, including Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, were expected to be at the chamber in the afternoon around 02:00 pm local time.

Media footage showed soldiers, ambulances, fire trucks and an armored vehicle gathered near the center of Turkey's capital, where security forces have surrounded the Parliament building and closed roads leading to it.

Television footage showed bomb squads working near a parked vehicle in the area.

ME