A deadly attack was carried out at the Turkish Aerospace Industries headquarters near Ankara on Wednesday, the government said, as broadcasters showed footage of several armed assailants entering the building amid reports of gunfire and a loud explosion.

"A terrorist attack was carried out against the TUSAS facilities in Kahramankazan, Ankara. Unfortunately, we have martyrs and injured people," Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said on X.

Three people were killed and 14 wounded in the attack, he said.

The cause and perpetrators of the blast and subsequent gunfire remain unclear. Kurdish militants, the Islamic State group and leftist extremists have carried out attacks in the country in the past.

Some media reports claimed a suicide attack had occurred and that there were hostages inside the building, though officials have not confirmed this. 

Witnesses told Reuters that employees inside the building were taken by authorities to shelters, and no one was permitted to leave. They said bombings may have taken place at different exits as employees were leaving work for the day.

The state-owned Anadolu Agency said emergency services were dispatched to the site, while television images showed a damaged gate and an exchange of gunfire in a parking lot. The images showed the attackers carrying assault rifles and backpacks as they entered the building.

Anadolu also said prosecutors had launched an investigation into the attack.

TUSAS is one of Turkey's most important defence and aviation companies. It produces KAAN, the country's first national combat aircraft, among other projects, and has over 10,000 employees.