ISTANBUL — A large blast ripped through the heart of Ankara, Turkey’s capital, Sunday, killing at least 27 people and injuring 75, the governor’s office said in a statement.
The explosion took place in Kizilay Square, near a central bus station, a park and several government ministries. Television footage showed several vehicles on fire.
The Ankara governor’s office said the explosion was believed to have been caused by a car bomb.
The blast came three weeks after a deadly bombing on a military convoy in Ankara that killed 28 people. A Turkish-based militant group called the Kurdistan Freedom Falcons claimed responsibility for that attack, identifying the bomber as a 26-year-old Turkish national. The Turkish government blamed a Syrian Kurdish militia, which is supported by the United States in the fight against the Islamic State in Syria.
Turkey has been shelling positions held by Kurdish militias in northern Syria that it deems to be extensions of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, known as the PKK, which has been fighting for autonomy for over three decades.
On March 11, the U.S. Embassy warned its citizens of a potential terrorist plot to attack Turkish government buildings and housings in Ankara.
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