Three people have been “neutralised”, and two police officers were wounded in an exchange of fire near the Israeli consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, reports say. Two of the gunmen was captured injured, while one other died, Istanbul Governor Davut Gul confimed, Turkiye Today reported.
Turkish Interior minister Mustafa Ciftci said that the identity of the terrorists have been confirmed. "It has been determined that one of the individuals who arrived in Istanbul from Izmit using a rental vehicle has ties to an organization that exploits religion; and one of the two terrorists, who are brothers, has a drug record," he said.
The consulate is located in Istanbul’s Buyukdere Avenue in Levent, Besiktas District. It is not clear if the consulate was targeted during the incident.
The building has been closed for at least two years and has been unstaffed since the Gaza war, according to a member of the local community.
İsrail Konsolosluğu önünde silah sesleri!https://t.co/CLxc6iOmKD pic.twitter.com/VbrxIjdzEp
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The three suspects were shot by Turkish security forces, Turkish outlet NTV said. They arrivd wearing camoflage and carried backpacks. They were armed with long-barreled weapons, Turkish media reported.
Video footage seen by Reuters showed a police officer pulling out a gun and taking cover as gunshots were heard. A person is also seen covered in blood.
Turkish Justice Minister Akin Gurlek said that an immediate criminal investigation will made into the incident.
Reports said that the suspects fired near a building which is located in one of the key business hubs that houses one of Turkey’s major banks.
A large police and medical team were dispatched to the scene with security measures. The clash lasted about 10 minutes, reports said.
