BREAKING NEWS: Turkey explosion: Ankara car bomb kills at least 27

From the section Europe

19 minutes ago

by Alara Berrak and Biodun Iginla, BBC News, Ankara

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Media captionFootage shows the chaotic aftermath of the blast in the Turkish capital, Ankara

A car bomb has exploded in the Turkish capital Ankara, killing 27 people and wounding another 75, the city governor's office has said.

The explosion happened in Guvenpark in the Kizilay district, a key transport hub and commercial area.
Several vehicles at the scene were reduced to burned-out wrecks, including at least one bus.
Last month, a bomb attack on a military convoy in Ankara killed 28 people and wounded dozens more.
The Hurriyet newspaper said the latest blast happened at about 18:40 (16:40 GMT) and the area was evacuated in case of a second attack. Many ambulances were at the scene, it added.
No group has yet claimed the attack. However, a security official told Reuters news agency that initial findings suggested it was the work of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) or an affiliated group.
Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu was reported to be convening an emergency security meeting.

Image copyright Serhat

Image caption A passer-by took this image shortly after the blast

Image copyright AP

Image caption The scene of the explosion is a local transport hub

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has been in Istanbul, was briefed on the attack by the interior minister, Hurriyet reported. Mr Erdogan was expected to return to Ankara later.
"According to initial reports, 27 of our citizens were killed in a blast caused by a bomb-laden car at Kizilay's Guvenpark," the governor's statement said.
It added that 23 people had died at the scene while four others died on their way to hospital.
The BBC's Mark Lowen in Istanbul says three attacks in the Turkish capital in less than six months show the multiple security threats that Turkey now faces.
The country that was the stable corner of the Middle East and the West's crucial ally in a volatile region is now at a dangerous moment, he adds.

Image copyright EPA

Image caption Several vehicles were destroyed in the blast

Image copyright AP

Image caption It was the third deadly terror attack in Ankara in less than six months

Image copyright Selahattin Sonmez

Image caption Ten different hospitals in the city were treating the wounded

Meanwhile, it has emerged that the US embassy in Ankara warned its citizens on 11 March of a "potential terrorist plot" in the city.
Last month's bombing was claimed by a Kurdish militant group, the Kurdistan Freedom Hawks (TAK). It said on its website that the attack was in retaliation for the policies of President Erdogan.
Turkey, however, blamed a Syrian national who was a member of another Kurdish group.
Last October, more than 100 people were killed in a double-suicide bombing at a Kurdish peace rally in Ankara.

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