White House press secretary Jay Carney told reporters Friday that the early morning suicide bombing attack on the U.S. Embassy in Turkey was clearly “an act of terror.”
“A suicide bombing on the perimeter of an embassy is by definition an act of terror,” Carney told reporters during a White House press conference.
“However, we do not know at this point who is responsible or the motivations behind the attack. The attack itself is clearly an act of terror.”
The State Department confirmed Friday morning that the U.S. Embassy in Ankara, Turkey, was hit by a terror attack.
“We can confirm a terrorist blast at a check point on the perimeter of our embassy compound in Ankara,” a State Department spokeswoman said in a statement, according to The Associated Press. “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.”
The suicide bomber killed himself and one other person at the entrance gate of the compound, according to the AP.