Five people have been killed and 22 injured in a “heinous terrorist attack” on Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAS) in Ankara, according to Turkish officials.
The attackers, a man and a woman, targeted the state-run defence firm on Wednesday, causing a large explosion and gunfire.
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Authorities believe the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), a militant group considered a terrorist organisation, may be responsible.
Turkey’s Defence Minister, Yasar Guler, said: “We punish the dishonourable PKK members as they deserve over and over again, but they never seem to learn.”
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who was meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin at the time, condemned the attack: “I condemn this heinous terrorist attack and wish mercy on our martyrs.”
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya confirmed the attackers were “neutralised” and said investigations are ongoing to confirm the identity of those involved.
Yerlikaya stated that three of the injured have been discharged from hospital, while 19 remain under treatment. “As soon as it is confirmed which terror group it is, it will be announced.”
Turkey’s defence sector, recognised for its Bayraktar drones, generates around 80 per cent of the country’s export revenues.
Media outlets that had been broadcasting live footage from the attack site were forced to stop after Turkey’s media watchdog imposed a blackout on images from the scene.
NTV also described a suicide attack, stating that “a group of terrorists” stormed the TUSAS headquarters, with one attacker detonating themselves.
It added that the attackers had arrived in a taxi.
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