A "deadly" terror attack on Wednesday targeted a Turkish aerospace and defense company TUSAS in the capital Ankara leaving several people dead or injured. The attack struck the Turkish Aerospace Industries Inc. (TUSAS) headquarters in Kahramankazan, Ankara.
The deadly attack has left five people dead and three out of 15 injured people are in critical condition, according to a CNNreport.
Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya shared the news of the attack and indicated the possibility of multiple casualties. “Unfortunately, we have martyrs and injured people after the attack,” he wrote on X.
Minister Yerlikaya has confirmed that two attackers - one man and one woman - were killed. “I condemn this heinous attack. Our fight will continue with determination and determination until the last terrorist is neutralized. May God have mercy on our martyrs. I wish a speedy recovery to our injured,” he said.
Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavas also expressed his sorrow and said that he is "saddened" by the attack on a major defense company in the country.
TUSAS was established in 1973 under the Ministry of Industry and Technology. It aims to reduce the country’s dependence on foreign defense supplies.
Turkish Private NTV television reported that the attack unfolded amid a changeover of security personnel, with reports indicating that a group of assailants arrived in a taxi. At least one attacker detonated a bomb, while others managed to breach the complex.
Social media videos captured the moment of the explosion and subsequent chaos, with armed individuals seen fleeing the scene.
NTV said that continuous gunfires were heard at the site and there are fears that some employees may have been taken hostage. Helicopters were dispatched to the area as security forces and emergency services rushed to respond. Employees were evacuated to a safe location as the situation developed.
It is yet to be confirmed who is behind the deadly attack. However, Turkey has previously faced violent attacks from Kurdish militants, the Islamic State group, and leftist extremists, all of whom have targeted defense and government facilities.
Since the attack has comee when the President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan is attending the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia, President Vladimir Putin expressed his condolences over the attack. “You know how we feel about this. We condemn any manifestations of this kind, no matter what their motivations are,” Putin said.
