Terrorism: Death toll in Ankara rises to 34, 125 injured

Thirty-four people were killed on Sunday when a car bomb exploded in a crowded transport and shopping hub in the heart of the Turkish capital Ankara, Turkey's health minister said, as reported by the Patria news agency.

Mehmet Muezzinoglu said 125 injured were taken to hospitals, 19 of them in critical condition. It is believed that two of the attackers are among the dead, he added.

The interior minister announced that the name of the organisation responsible for the attack would be released once the investigation is completed.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said the attack would not diminish Turkey's determination in the fight against terrorism and that the state would never give up its right to defend its citizens.

Terrorist organisations attack innocent civilians because they are losing the fight against our security forces, Erdogan stressed, adding that Turkey has become a target of terrorists due to instability in the region in recent years.

Witnesses report that the explosion could be heard from a distance of 2.5 kilometres, and a thick cloud of smoke rose over the city centre.

The area near the courthouse and the ministries of justice and interior was crowded when the explosion occurred at 6:43 p.m. local time, state television TRT reported, according to Index.