FOXNews.com: At least 2 dead in terrorist attack outside US Embassy in Turkish capital

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At least 2 dead in terrorist attack outside US Embassy in Turkish capital Feb 1st 2013, 14:41 A suicide bomber detonated an explosive device on the outside perimeter of the U.S. Embassy in the Turkish capital Friday, officials said, in a terrorist attack believed to be the work of either Al Qaeda or a proxy for Iran.  According to U.S. military sources, a Turkish national was killed in the attack in Ankara -- the bomber is also thought to be dead. All U.S. staff are safe at this time, though the U.S. consulate in Turkey reportedly has advised Americans in the country against visiting U.S. missions for the time being.  The attack, nearly five months after the assault on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya, comes as John Kerry is formally sworn in as secretary of State Friday afternoon.  The State Department is working with the Turkish government to investigate.  "We can confirm a terrorist blast at a check point on the perimeter of our embassy compound in Ankara, Turkey," State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said Friday. "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 bomb appeared to have exploded inside the security checkpoint at the side entrance of the embassy, but did not do damage inside the embassy itself. Footage showed that the door had been blown off its hinges and debris littered the ground and across the road. An Associated Press journalist saw a body in the street in front of an embassy side entrance.  Police swarmed the area and several ambulances were dispatched. An AP journalist saw one woman who appeared to be seriously injured being carried into an ambulance.  The working presumption at this time is that it was Al Qaeda or a proxy for Iran behind the attack -- not Kurdish separatists or the Kurdish party PKK, because PKK has never directly attacked or threatened U.S. interests in Turkey.  U.S. Patriot missiles were recently deployed to the border with Syria, along with some U.S. troops, to operate the missile-defense system inside Turkey.  The U.S. Embassy put out a brief statement saying: "The US Embassy would like to thank the Turkish Government, the media, and members of the public for their expressions of solidarity and outrage over the incident."  On Capitol Hill, the new chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee said the attack "underscores the need for a comprehensive review of security at our diplomatic posts."  "This suicide bombing at our Embassy in Turkey is yet another stark reminder of the constant terrorist threat against U.S. facilities, personnel, and interests abroad," Rep. Ed Royce, R-Calif., said.  The embassy building is heavily protected. It is near an area where several other embassies are located, including that of Germany and France. Police sealed off the area and journalists were being kept away.  There was no claim of responsibility, but Kurdish rebels and Islamic militants are active in Turkey. Kurdish rebels, who are fighting for autonomy in the Kurdish-dominated southeast, have dramatically stepped up attacks in Turkey over the last year.  Yet homegrown Islamic militants tied to Al Qaeda have carried out suicide bombings in Istanbul, killing 58, in 2003. The targets were the British consulate, a British bank and two synagogues.  In 2008, an attack blamed on Al Qaeda-affiliated militants outside the U.S. Consulate in Istanbul left three assailants and three policemen dead.  In the November 2003 attack on the British consulate , a suspected Islamic militant rammed an explosive-laden pickup truck into the main gate, killing British Consul-General, Roger Short, and his assistant, Lisa Hallworth.  Turkey has become a harsh critic of the regime in Syria, where a vicious civil war has left at least 60,000 people dead. The first of six Patriot missile batteries being deployed to Turkey to protect against attack from Syria was declared operational and placed under NATO command on Saturday and others were expected to be operational in the coming days.  Fox News' Jennifer Griffin and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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