ANKARA, Turkey, Feb. 17 (Gephardt Daily) — As many as 28 people have been killed and at least 60 injured in a rush-hour car bombing targeting military personnel in the heart of the Turkish capital of Ankara.
The blast occurred at about 6:15 p.m. local time, the peak of rush hour, on Wednesday near the Turkish Parliament and targeted a convoy of military personnel, officials said.
The death toll began at five but continued to climb in the hours after the blast. Officials said at least 18 were killed but various news reports cited tolls nearing 30.
A spokesman for Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development party (AKP), Ömer Çelik, called the explosion a “heinous act of terrorism.” Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag also described the explosion as an act of terrorism.
Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu said an investigation is already underway.
“We have received information and we are looking into it,” he said in a statement.
Dozens were injured in the blast.
Turkey has already been a target of terror since the start of the new year. Ten people were killed in a suicide bombing in Istanbul last month. The culprit is believed to be a supporter of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, also known as ISIL.
More than 100 were killed in an October ISIL attack in Ankara.
There were no immediate claims of responsibility for Wednesday’s blast.
