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At least five killed in ‘terrorist attack’ on aerospace facility in Turkey, officials say
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At least five killed in ‘terrorist attack’ on aerospace facility in Turkey, officials say

LONDON — Several people were killed Wednesday in a “terrorist attack” on Turkish Aerospace Industries facilities near the capital Ankara, Turkish officials said.

At least five people were killed and 22 injured in the attack, according to Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz. Among the injured were seven members of the special forces who responded to the attack, he said.

Two attackers – a man and a woman – were killed and Turkish authorities are trying to identify them, Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said.

PHOTO: Security forces, firefighters and paramedics are dispatched to Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) facilities after explosions and gunfire were reported in the Kahramankazan district of Ankara, Turkey, on October 23, 2024.

Security forces, firefighters and paramedics are deployed to Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) facilities after explosions and gunfire were reported following a terrorist attack in the Kahramankazan district of Ankara, Turkiye on October 23, 2024.

Ismail Kaplan/Anadolu via Getty Images

“I condemn this heinous attack,” Yerlikaya said in a message on X. “Our fight will continue with determination and determination until the last terrorist is neutralized.”

Turkish Defense Minister Yaşar Güler claimed that the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) was behind the attack. The Kurdish separatist movement is labeled a terrorist organization by Turkey and its Western allies.

“We give these PKK thugs the punishment they deserve every time, they do not come to their senses,” he told the media on Wednesday. “I repeat what I always say: we will not let them go until the last terrorist is eliminated.”

Yilmaz also said that the PKK appears to be responsible for the attack, but that investigations are still ongoing.

In the aftermath of the attack, the Turkish Defense Ministry said it had carried out airstrikes that destroyed 32 PKK targets in Iraq and northern Syria. There were at least three explosions during the attacks.

CCTV footage of the attack showed two armed assailants with backpacks approaching the entrance to the facility.

The location of Turkish Aerospace Industries is approximately 40 kilometers outside Ankara.

PHOTO: Security forces, firefighters and paramedics are dispatched to Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) facilities after explosions and gunfire were reported in the Kahramankazan district of Ankara, Turkey, on October 23, 2024.

Security forces, firefighters and paramedics are deployed to Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) facilities after explosions and gunfire were reported following a terrorist attack in the Kahramankazan district of Ankara, Turkiye on October 23, 2024.

Ismail Kaplan/Anadolu via Getty Images

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte called the incident ‘very worrying’.

“NATO stands behind our ally Turkey. We strongly condemn terrorism in all its forms and are closely monitoring developments,” he said in a statement on X.

White House national security spokesman John Kirby also condemned the attack.

“Our prayers are with all those affected and their families and, of course, with the people of Turkey at this very difficult time,” he said during a White House briefing on Wednesday. “While we do not yet know the motive or who exactly is behind it, we strongly condemn this act of violence.”

Somayeh Malekian, Morgan Winsor and Trisha Mukherjee of ABC News contributed to this report.