A car bomb has exploded in the Turkish capital Ankara, killing 34 people and wounding more than 100.
The health ministry said the bomb attack took place in Guven Park in the Kizilay district, a key transport hub and commercial area in the national capital.
The images published by local news organisations show that several vehicles were completely destroyed due to blast effect and many others were gutted in the ensuing fire.
Last month, a bomb attack on a military convoy in Ankara killed 28 people and wounded dozens more. This is the third major terror attack in the captial Ankara in the last five months.
The Hurriyet newspaper said the latest blast happened at about 18:40 in the evening as per the local time.
Authorities immediately evacuated the area fearing further attacks. Many ambulances were seen in the area.
Police and Rescue Personnel at the Bomb Attack site.
No group has yet claimed the attack. However, a security official told Reuters news agency that initial findings suggested it was the work of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) or an affiliated group.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said terror groups were targeting civilians because they were losing their struggle against Turkish security forces.
He said such attacks “increase our determination to fight terrorism”.
As per the reports in local media, Turkish Health Minister Mehmet Muezzinoglu confirmed that 30 people were killed at the scene and four died later in hospital.
However, two of the dead are believed to be the attackers. He said 125 people were being treated at several hospitals in Ankara, of whom 19 are in a critical condition.
A senior minister told the meia that investigation would be completed soon and the people behind the attacks will be named.
The ministers were speaking after an emergency security meeting called by Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu.
Local news reports say that the government had ordered a ban on access to social media, including Facebook and Twitter, saying it was to stop people sharing images of the attack.
