Turkey’s Erdogan says to fight forces behind Ankara bombing

A vehicle laden with explosives reportedly targeted a convoy of buses carrying military personnel that were stopped at traffic lights, the army said.

(CNN) – An explosion hit military vehicles at an intersection in the Turkish capital of Ankara on Wednesday evening, officials said, in what the military called a terror attack.

At least five people were killed and 10 others were wounded in the blast in an area near military headquarters and parliament.

The attack has not been claimed by anyone yet, but the Islamic State militant group has been held responsible by the government for recent bombings in the country.

Hürriyet has more details as they emerge.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said: “We as Germans are sharing your pain….”

Mr Erdogan cancelled a planned trip to Azerbaijan on Thursday, while Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu also said he would not go to Brussels where he was due to attend meetings about the refugee crisis in Europe.

At least 28 people were killed and dozens of others were hurt Wednesday when a large explosion rocked Ankara, Turkey’s deputy prime minister said.

“We will continue our struggle with more determination against these pawns and the forces behind them who carry out these attacks that have no moral or humane limitations”, were Erdoğan’s words.

First responders… police rush to the site of an explosion in Ankara.

He noted that such actions can never be justified and that “NATO allies stand shoulder to shoulder in the fight against terrorism”.

Washington also condemned the attack, according to a statement by Mark Toner, deputy spokesman of the U.S. State Department. “There was smoke and a really strong smell even though we were blocks away”, a witness told Reuters.

In Ankara, some government officials suggested that the attacker may have been backed by one of Turkey’s state rivals, such as Iran or Russian Federation.

Meanwhile the banned ultra-left Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party-Front (DHKP-C) has also staged a string of usually small-scale attacks in Istanbul over the last few months.

In October an attack in Ankara targeted a rally of pro-Kurdish activists, killing more than 100 people.