Five killed and 22 wounded in 'terror attack' at Turkish aerospace firm

Turkey's interior minister blamed a "terrorist attack" for an explosion and assault at the headquarters of the national aerospace company, Tusaş, outside Ankara yesterday that killed five people and wounded 22 others.

- Peter Beaumont Ruth Michaelson

The large blast happened outside the building at 4pm and there were reports that gunfire was heard in the vicinity.

Turkey's president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, said: "I condemn this heinous terrorist attack and wish mercy on our martyrs."

The interior minister, Ali Yerlikaya, said: "Sadly, we have five martyrs and 22 wounded in the attack. Three of the injured were already discharged from hospital, 19 of them under treatment."

He said two attackers - a woman and a man - had been "neutralised" and that work was under way to determine their identities. Yerlikaya did not say whether there were any other attackers still at large, amid conflicting reports of whether the situation was still unfolding.

Media outlets that had been showing live footage from the scene were forced to halt their broadcasts after Turkey's media watchdog ordered a blackout of images from the site.