Car bomb attack in Turkey kills at least 2, injures 33

A police officer walks past by a fire after an explosion that killed people and wounded several others in southern city of Adana, Turkey, Thursday, Nov. 24, 2016. (The Associated Press)

ANKARA, Turkey – A car bomb attack Thursday targeting a government building in the southern Turkish city of Adana killed at least two people and wounded 33 others, a senior cabinet official said.

Energy Minister Berat Albayrak condemned the attack during a news conference in Adana, promising to "bury ... those who commit terrorism, their pawns and their supporters."

The attack was the latest in a string of deadly bombings that have rocked Turkey for more than a year. The attacks have been carried out by Kurdish militants or the Islamic State group.

Adana governor Mahmut Demirtas told the state-run Anadolu Agency that the attack occurred in a parking lot near the entrance to his office. He said it was believed to have been carried out by a woman, without saying whether it was a suicide attack.

"Terror hit my hometown today. Lost 2 citizens, dozens wounded. It is a shame to talk about proportionality against terrorist organizations," Omer Celik, the minister in charge of European Union affairs, wrote on his Twitter account.

The European Union regularly criticizes Turkey's sweeping crackdown following the failed coup attempt in July, which Ankara defends as part of an ongoing war on terror. The bloc will hold a non-binding vote on Thursday on whether or not to freeze Turkey's membership talks.

Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus condemned the attack and offered condolences on Twitter, adding: "Having become a target because it has disrupted the game being played in the region, Turkey will not yield to terrorism, it will continue its fight against terrorism with determination."

Several cars in the parking lot caught fire after the blast, video footage showed. The blast also damaged the government building, Anadolu Agency said.

Some of the wounded were in serious condition, said Huseyin Sozlu, the mayor for the city. "The bomb that was detonated was a high impact one," he said.

As with previous attacks, Turkish authorities imposed a media ban, barring broadcast and publication of graphic images or information that might hinder the investigation.

A statement by the United States Consulate urges all citizens to "avoid this area throughout the day, maintain a high level of vigilance, monitor local media for updates, and exercise caution if you are in the vicinity."

American troops are stationed at the Incirlik Air Force base, roughly 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the city center. Incirlik serves as a base for aircraft involved in the U.S.-led coalition's campaign against the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq.