Two police officers have been injured and three suspects have been “neutralized”, according to local media reports.
There was a shootout between police and several gunmen near the Israeli Consulate in Istanbul, Turkey on Tuesday, local media reported. The building has been closed for months and is said to be understaffed. It is unclear whether it was the target of the attack.
According to reports, several police teams were dispatched to the consulate at around 12:15 pm local time. CNN’s Turkish-language outlet reported that one of the attackers, who was armed with a long weapon, was killed and two others were captured after being wounded. Two police officers were also injured in this clash.
Anadolu news agency said that since the Israeli consulate is not operational, preliminary findings suggest the attack targeted Turkish police who always maintain a heavily armed presence in the area.
AFP and Reuters also reported that there are no Israeli diplomats currently posted in Istanbul or Ankara.
Turkish Interior Minister Mustafa Siftsi confirmed that the three were the attackers. “Ineffective,” He said that his identity has been determined. One of the attackers belonged to “For an organization that exploits religion,” While the other two were brothers, one of whom has a drug-related record.
Turkish Justice Minister Akin Gürlek said a criminal investigation had been launched and three investigators had been assigned to handle the case.
