The headquarters of Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAS) near Ankara was hit by an explosion on Wednesday, resulting in numerous casualties.

Turkish authorities qualified what happened as a terrorist attack. TUSAS is a manufacturer of engines for the Turkish defense industry.

 Police and other emergency crews were dispatched to the headquarters.

Turkish television channel HaberTurk reported that workers took shelter at the site. Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya called the blast a “terrorist attack” and said there were casualties. Yerlikaya did not provide further details.

“A terrorist attack was carried out on Turkish Aerospace Industries Inc. facilities in Kahramankazan, Ankara,” Yerlikaya wrote on social media X.

Ankara's prosecutor has launched an investigation into the attack, Anadolu reported.

TUSAS is located in the Kahramankazan district, about 40 kilometers north of downtown Ankara. The company's vast complex covers an area of 4 million square meters. Defense industry researcher Anil Şahin told Turkish media outlet HaberTurk that the attack was carried out by several assailants who arrived at the complex by cab.

Several images published by Turkish news outlets showed at least two attackers, one of them a woman, advancing inside the complex with long-barreled rifles.