A suicide bomber detonated an explosive device near the Turkish Interior Ministry in Ankara, while another assailant was killed in a police shootout, resulting in two police officers sustaining minor injuries.

The attack occurred just hours before Parliament was scheduled to reconvene after a three-month summer recess, with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan delivering an address.

The attackers began their assault by throwing a small explosive device at the ministry building, creating a diversion for security forces.

Following this, one of the assailants opened fire at security guards near the ministry gate before detonating a bomb strapped to himself, resulting in his own death. The other attacker, who had entered the compound, was swiftly neutralized by the police.

Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya provided details of the attack, stating, “Our heroic police officers, through their intuition, resisted the terrorists as soon as they got out of the vehicle. One of them blew himself up while the other one was shot in the head before he had a chance to blow himself up.”

Yerlikaya emphasized the government’s resolve in the fight against terrorism and organized crime, although he did not specify the group responsible for the attack, and no immediate claims of responsibility were made.

In his parliamentary address, President Erdogan referred to the attack as “the last stand of terrorism,” reassuring the public that those responsible would not achieve their objectives.

He reiterated the government’s commitment to establishing a 30-kilometer (20-mile) safe zone along the Syrian border to enhance security.

The attack in Ankara marks the first in the city since 2016 and underscores Turkey’s ongoing struggle against terrorism and the challenges it faces in maintaining security.