A car bomb attack targeting a government building in the southern city of Adana has killed at least two people and wounded 16 others, officials said.

Mahmut Demirtas, the governor for Adana province, 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.

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.

"This damnable terror is continuing to target our people," Omer Celik, the minister in charge of European Union affairs, said on his Twitter account. "We will continue our struggle against terrorism until the end in the name of humanity."

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.</s>A firefighter tries to extinguish burning vehicles after an explosion outside the governor's office in the southern city of Adana, Turkey, November 24, 2016. Ihlas News Agency via REUTERS

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - An explosion killed two people and wounded more than 30 outside the governor's office in the southern Turkish city of Adana on Thursday, weeks after the United States warned of attacks by what it called extremist groups.

Video footage showed a vehicle ablaze in the car park outside the building and thick black smoke rising into the sky in the city, 40 km (25 miles) from Turkey's Mediterranean coast. Windows were blown out and parts of the facade of the building, roughly six floors high, were torn off.

The state-run Anadolu agency quoted provincial governor Mahmut Demirtas as saying two people were killed. Anadolu said the blast, which occurred shortly after 8 a.m., came from a vehicle in front of the building.

Energy Minister Berat Albayrak, the son-in-law of President Tayyip Erdogan, who was in Adana for a conference at a separate location, said 33 people had been wounded in the blast.

Adana is about 10 miles (16 km) from Incirlik Air Base, which the U.S. military uses to launch attacks against Islamic State militants in Syria. Families of U.S. military personnel were ordered to leave Adana and some other parts of Turkey in March over security concerns.

"Damned terror continues to target our people. We will fight with this terror to the end in the name of humanity," Turkish EU Affairs Minister Omer Celik wrote on Twitter, saying he had spoken to the Adana governor.

The U.S. embassy in Turkey strongly condemned what it described as an "outrageous terrorist attack" and said it stood against terror with Turkey, a NATO ally and member of the U.S.-led coalition against Islamic State.

Labour Minister Mehmet Muezzinoglu said Kurdish PKK militants may have been responsible and that 21 people were wounded, five of them seriously.

"It looks like they (the PKK) were probably behind it this morning yet again, as this looks like their one of their actions," he told broadcaster CNN Turk.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility.

PKK militants have carried out dozens of attacks on members of the security forces and government buildings since July 2015, when a ceasefire between the group and the Turkish state collapsed. Civilians have also been killed.

A Turkish soldier was killed and two wounded on Thursday after an improvised explosive device was detonated by suspected PKK militants in the southeastern province of Sirnak, near the Syrian and Iraqi borders, security sources said.

The PKK, which is considered a terrorist organization by the United States and European Union, has waged a three-decade insurgency for Kurdish autonomy in Turkey's southeast.

Turkey has also been hit by at least half a dozen suicide attacks blamed on Islamic State over the past year, including suicide bombings in Istanbul in January and March which killed German and Israeli tourists, and a gun-and-bomb attack at Istanbul airport which killed 45 people in June.

Turkey launched an incursion into Syria to try to push Islamic State away from the border in August, days after a suicide bomber killed more than 50 people at a wedding in the southern city of Gaziantep.

The U.S. Consulate General in Adana warned three weeks ago that "extremist groups continue aggressive efforts to attack U.S. citizens and other foreigners in Adana". The State Department has warned U.S. citizens to avoid travel to southeastern Turkey.</s>ISTANBUL: Two people were killed when a car exploded early Thursday outside a government building in the southern Turkish city of Adana, officials said.

“Two people were killed and 16 were wounded,” the governor of Adana, Mahmut Demirtas, was quoted as saying by the state-run news agency Anadolu.

The blast, which occurred outside the governor’s office, is the latest in a wave of violence striking Turkey, whose government is fighting both Kurdish militants and jihadists.

“A vehicle blew up at 8.05am (0505 GMT) at a parking lot next to the entrance of the governor’s office,” Demirtas said.

The attack is believed to have been carried out by a woman, the governor said, without providing further details.

The force of the blast smashed shop windows in the neighbourhood, private NTV broadcaster reported.

Ambulances and fire engine teams were dispatched to the scene, Anadolu reported.

Turkey has been on high alert since 2015 after a series of attacks blamed on Kurdish militants and Islamic State jihadists.

The United States has advised its citizens to carefully consider the need to travel to Turkey at this time. AFP</s>A police officer walks past by a fire after an explosion that killed people and wounded several others in southern city of Adana, Turkey, on Thursday (AP photo)

ISTANBUL — An explosion killed two people and wounded more than 30 outside the governor's office in the southern Turkish city of Adana on Thursday, weeks after the United States warned of attacks by what it called extremist groups.

Video footage showed a vehicle ablaze in the car park outside the building and thick black smoke rising into the sky in the city, 40km from Turkey's Mediterranean coast. Windows were blown out and parts of the facade of the building, roughly six floors high, were torn off.

The state-run Anadolu agency quoted provincial governor Mahmut Demirtas as saying two people were killed. Anadolu said the blast, which occurred shortly after 8am (0500 GMT), came from a vehicle in front of the building.

Energy Minister Berat Albayrak, the son-in-law of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who was in Adana for a conference at a separate location, said 33 people had been wounded in the blast.

Adana is about 16km from Incirlik Air Base, which the US military uses to launch attacks against Daesh militants in Syria. Families of US military personnel were ordered to leave Adana and some other parts of Turkey in March over security concerns.

"Damned terror continues to target our people. We will fight with this terror to the end in the name of humanity," Turkish EU Affairs Minister Omer Celik wrote on Twitter, saying he had spoken to the Adana governor.

The US embassy in Turkey condemned what it described as an "outrageous terrorist attack" and said it stood with Turkey, a NATO ally and member of the US-led coalition against Daesh.

Labour Minister Mehmet Muezzinoglu said Kurdish PKK militants may have been responsible and that 21 people were wounded, five of them seriously.

"It looks like they [the PKK] were probably behind it this morning yet again, as this looks like their one of their actions," he told broadcaster CNN Turk.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility.

The privately owned Dogan news agency said police had shot the driver of a light commercial vehicle which tried to flee despite being ordered to stop by a police team which suspected it was linked to the bombing.

It said an ambulance was sent for the wounded driver along with a bomb disposal expert to inspect the vehicle.</s>ANKARA, Turkey — At least two people were killed and 16 others wounded in an explosion Thursday in the car park of a government building in the southern city of Adana, officials said.

Omer Celik, the minister in charge of European Union affairs, said on his Twitter account that the explosion in front of the Adana governor's office was a "terror" attack. Hurriyet newspaper reported that the attack was believed to be caused by a car bomb.

"This damnable terror is continuing to target our people," Celik said. "We shall continue our struggle against terrorism until the end in the name of humanity."

Mahmut Demirtas, the governor for Adana, said the blast killed two people and wounded 16 others. He told the state-run Anadolu Agency that the explosion occurred close to the entrance to his office and suggested it may have been a suicide attack carried out by a woman.

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

Several cars in the parking lot caught fire after the blast, video footage showed. The blast also caused damage to the government building, Anadolu Agency said.</s>At least two people have died and 16 are injured after a car bomb exploded in southern Turkey.

The explosion took place just after 8:00am on Thursday in a car park near the government building in the city of Adana, and is believed to have been carried out by a woman with links to Kurdish militants or Isis.

Following the explosion, Omer Celik, minister in charge of European Union affairs who lives in Adana, wrote on Twitter: “This damnable terror is continuing to target our people. We will continue our struggle against terrorism until the end in the name of humanity.“

The minister later added: “The ones who target our peace and fundamental rights of our citizens will be punished in the strongest way possible within rule of law.”

The blast damaged the government building, according to Anadolu Agency, and video footage showed several cars caught fire after the explosion, with some of the wounded are reported to be in serious condition.

The attack marks the latest in a string of deadly bombings that have rocked the country for more than a year.

Earlier this month a car bomb exploded in Diyarbakir, southeastern Turkey, killing one person and wounding around 30 other. Days later another explosion occured near a government in building in Derik, southern Turkey, in which several people were reported to have been wounded.

As with previous attacks, Turkish authorities imposed a media ban following the explosion, barring broadcast and publication of graphic images or information that might hinder the investigation.</s>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.</s>A firemen extinguishes flames from a burning car after an explosion in Adana, southern Turkey on November 24, 2016 (AFP Photo/Ilhas News Agency)

Istanbul (AFP) - A car bomb exploded in the car park of the governor's office in the southern Turkish city of Adana Thursday killing two people and wounding 33, officials said, in the latest attack to rock Turkey this year.

The explosion sparked a fire, with a cloud of dark smoke spewing into the sky, and caused damage to the governorate itself, state-run Anadolu news agency said, describing the blast as a "terror attack".

The attack is believed to have been carried out by a woman, Adana governor Mahmut Demirtas was quoted as saying by Anadolu, without providing further details.

Energy Minister Berat Albayrak, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's son-in-law, said two people were killed and 33 wounded, including one in critical condition.

Speaking to reporters after inspecting the site, Albayrak condemned the attack and said: "We have no fear from anything other than Allah."

As has been the case with previous attacks, Turkish authorities immediately slapped a broadcast ban on footage from the scene.

"This accursed terror continues to target our people," Turkey's EU Affairs Minister Omer Celik, a ruling party MP from Adana, wrote on Twitter.

"We will fight against terror until the very end in the name of humanity," he added.

Celik who later visited Adana claimed the atrocity targeted the governor himself.

With a population of almost two million, Adana is one of Turkey's largest cities, located around 100 kilometres (60 miles) from the Syrian border.

The US consulate in the city had in September warned its citizens of a potential threat targeting US-branded hotels there.

"We strongly condemn the outrageous terrorist attack in Adana," the US embassy in Ankara said on Twitter, adding that the United States stands "with Turkey against terror".

Incirlik air base, just outside Adana, is used by American and coalition forces as a hub for air raids against Islamic State (IS) jihadists in neighbouring Syria.

The attack came on the same day that three Turkish soldiers were killed and 10 wounded in an air strike in northern Syria that Turkey blamed on the Syrian regime.

Turkey has experienced a bloody year of militant attacks in its two biggest cities that have left dozens dead and put the country on high alert.

Kurdish militants have twice struck in Ankara, while suspected IS suicide bombers have hit Istanbul on three occasions.

In June, 47 people were killed in a triple suicide bombing and gun attack at Istanbul's Ataturk airport, with authorities pointing the finger at IS.

Another 57 people, 34 of them children, were killed in August in a suicide attack by an IS-linked bomber at a Kurdish wedding in the southeastern city of Gaziantep.

The country is also still reeling from a failed July 15 coup blamed on the US-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gulen that has been followed by a relentless purge of his alleged supporters from all state institutions.

There was no immediate indication of who was behind the latest attack.

The Turkish military has stepped up operations against Kurdish militants after a fragile ceasefire broke down in the summer of 2015. Since then, there has been a dramatic surge in violence that shows no sign of ending.

The outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), designated as a terror group by Turkey and its Western allies, generally concentrates its attacks in the southeast of the country.

Although located in southern Turkey, Adana lies to the west of the southeastern region that has been the main theatre of conflict with the PKK.
A suspected car bomb outside the office of the governor of the southern Turkish province of Adana kills at least two people and injures 16.