The Turkish Parliament building in the nation's capital city of Ankara was the target of a suicide bombing. The attack took place at approximately 9:30 a.m. local time (06:30 GMT) on October 1, 2023, just hours before the parliament was scheduled to reconvene following a summer recess.
(Image Source: BBC)
The incident began when one of the attackers exited the car and threw a small explosive at the ministry building to distract security. The second attacker then opened fire at guards by the ministry gate before setting off a bomb strapped to him, resulting in his death. The first attacker ran into the compound and was immediately shot dead by police. Two officers were injured, with one sustaining a gunshot wound to the chest and the other suffering injuries in both legs and an eye; none of the injuries were life-threatening.
A group linked to Kurdish militants has admitted carrying out the attack. The Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) is considered a terror group in Turkey, the EU, the UK, and the US. Kurdish militants have faced intense pressure from the authorities, who have jailed their leaders and conducted military operations against Kurdish bases inside Turkey and across the border in Syria and Iraq.
(Image Source: BBC)
This bombing was the first in Ankara since 2016, marking the return of such violence to the capital. In the past, Turkey has experienced a spate of deadly attacks, with the last major attack being in November of the previous year when a bomb in a busy street in Istanbul killed six people. Turkish authorities attributed that attack to Kurdish militant groups in Syria, although no group claimed responsibility.
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