Friday, February 1, 2013

White House press secretary Jay Carney is calling the attack on the U.S. Embassy in Ankara, Turkey "an act of terror."

The president's spokesman says it is not yet known who is responsible, but a suicide bombing on the perimeter of an embassy is, by definition, a terrorist act.

A suicide bomber detonated an explosive Friday in front of the embassy in Ankara. He killed himself and a Turkish guard in an attack that Turkish officials blamed on domestic leftists.

------------

The State Department is confirming that a terror attack occurred just outside the U.S. Embassy in Ankara, Turkey.

Officials in Ankara say a suspected suicide bomber detonated an explosive device killing himself and one other person, identified by U.S. Ambassador Francis Ricciardione as an embassy guard. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland says the explosion occurred on the perimeter of the embassy at about 1:15 pm local time. She says, "We can confirm a terrorist blast at a check point on the perimeter of our embassy compound in Ankara, Turkey, at 1:13 p.m. local time, or 6:15 a.m. EST."

Her statement also says, " We are working closely with the Turkish national police to make a full assessment of the damage and the casualties, and to begin an investigation."