The blast on Sunday morning was an attempted terrorist attack, according to the authorities. Two perpetrators were involved in the incident, one of whom blew himself up, while the other was neutralized by the security forces, the Interior Ministry added.
Two police officers were injured in the standoff, officials said.
Images from Ankara show armored vehicles being deployed in the streets, along with numerous armed police officers and soldiers. One of the photos features what looks like a used man-portable rocket launcher thrown on the ground.
The attack took place on the day when Turkey’s parliament was scheduled to reconvene following its summer recess.
Last November, an explosion rocked a busy pedestrian area in the center of Turkey’s largest city, Istanbul. The blast killed eight people, including two children, and injured 80 others. The Turkish authorities blamed the attack on the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and the Syrian Kurdish militia YPG (People’s Protection Units). The PKK denied any involvement.
