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Suspect in Fatal Turkish Bombing Shot, Captured

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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.
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.

A Turkish cabinet member says a suspect in the fatal car-bombing outside a government building in the southern city of Adana has been shot and captured.

Minister of European Union Affairs Omer Celik said police opened fire on a light utility vehicle believed to be carrying the person responsible for the Thursday attack after the driver refused warnings to stop.

Celik says the suspect was injured and is being treated.

The bomb targeted a government building in the southern Turkish city of Adana and killed at least two people. Another 33 were wounded, a senior cabinet official said.

Adana, Turkey
Adana, Turkey

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.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack.

The car bomb was detonated remotely at the entrance to the office of the governor of Adana, who was the likely target, Celik said.

"Terror hit my hometown today. Lost 2 citizens, dozens wounded. It is a shame to talk about proportionality against terrorist organizations," Celik wrote on his Twitter account.

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.

The European Union has expressed increasing disapproval of Turkey's wide-ranging crackdown on critics and political opponents following a failed coup attempt in July, actions Ankara defends as part of an ongoing war on terror.

Vote to pause EU negotiations

The EU Parliament on Thursday held a non-binding vote to freeze talks on Turkey's bid to join the 28-nation bloc.

Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus condemned the bombing 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."

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 urged 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.

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