Three people were killed and five others were wounded in Turkey after terrorists attacked the Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) facility on Wednesday.
“A terrorist attack was carried out against the TUSAS facilities in Kahramankazan, Ankara. Unfortunately, we have martyrs and injured people,” Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said on social media platform X.
Yerlikaya did not provide additional details regarding the attack on Turkish Aerospace Industries Inc., located on the outskirts of Ankara.
On Wednesday, Turkey confirmed that a deadly assault took place at the headquarters of Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAS), with media reporting a loud explosion at the scene and showing footage of gunfire exchanges.
The cause of the explosion and the ensuing gunfire remains unclear, though some reports suggest a possible suicide attack. Emergency services were dispatched to the area, as reported by state-owned Anadolu Agency.
Television footage displayed a damaged gate and a nearby clash in a parking lot.
TUSAS is one of Turkey’s leading defense and aviation firms, known for producing KAAN, the nation’s first national combat aircraft, among other projects. The facility, covering 43 million square feet in Kahramankazan, Ankara, serves as a manufacturing hub for planes, helicopters, drones, and satellites, according to TAI’s website.
Following the incident, Turkey’s benchmark stock index fell by as much as two per cent, with declines led by Turkish Airlines, retailer BIM, and conglomerate Koc Holding.
Group of assailants at the entry to the complex
A group of assailants arrived at the entrance of a complex in a taxi during a change of security personnel. According to private NTV television in Turkey, quoted by the Associated Press, at least one attacker detonated a bomb, while others managed to breach the complex.
NTV reported that gunfire continued at the scene, and some personnel may have been taken hostage. Helicopters were spotted flying over the premises in the Kahramankazan district of Ankara.
Security camera footage broadcast on television showed a man in plain clothes carrying a backpack and wielding an assault rifle. The images also revealed that at least one female assailant was armed with an assault rifle.
Earlier reports indicated that an explosion was followed by gunfire at the complex. Security forces, ambulances, and firefighters were dispatched to the location, as reported by NTV.
(With inputs from agencies)
