Car Bomb Kills At Least Five in Turkish Capital Ankara

At least five people were killed after a car bomb reportedly exploded in the busy streets of Ankara, the capital city of Turkey on Wednesday night. At least 10 people were injured.

The nation's Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag has called the bombing an act of terrorism. Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has canceled a trip to Brussels to attend a meeting with President Recep Tayyip and state officials.

"According to preliminary assessments, five people died and 10 people were injured," Ankara Governor Mehmet Kiliclar said to the state-run Anadolu Agency, reported by the New York Times. "It is believed that a bomb-laden car caused the explosion."

Some local news outlets have reported that 11 people were killed.

Kiliclar said that the explosion, which happened near parliament and military headquarters, could have been targeting a group of buses with military personnel onboard.

The military has condemned the attack, calling it "contemptible and dastardly."

"I heard a huge explosion. There was smoke and a really strong smell even though we were blocks away," a witness told Reuters. "We could immediately hear ambulance and police car sirens rushing to the scene."

The authorities do not know who was responsible for the bombing. Terrorists, like the Islamic State and Kurdish fighters, have conducted attacks in Turkey in the past.

In October, the Turkish government blamed the Islamic State for carrying out two suicide bombings outside of a main train station in the city that killed 102 people. The suicide bombing in Istanbul this past January that killed 10 German nationals was also blamed on the Islamic State.

The most recent bombing comes at a time when Turkey has been facing intense pressure at its Syrian border as pro-government forces backed by Russia airstrikes continue to advance in northern Syria. Kurdish fighters have also been active around the border, forcing Turkey to carry out cross-border strikes.

On top of these problems, Turkey has also been dealing with the increased influx of Syrian migrants. Turkey has taken in 2.5 million Syrians since the Syrian Civil War started.