Gunmen shot dead in firefight outside Israeli consulate in Istanbul
At least one gunman has been shot and killed after an incident outside the Israeli consulate in Istanbul.
A firefight reportedly broke out outside the diplomatic mission in Turkey’s largest city today.
Three men are thought to have tried to approach the consulate on Yapi Kredi Plaza, when police officers told them to stop as they approached the building.
Reports are saying that two of the attackers may have been shot and killed, while the third assailant was seriously injured. Some Turkish media reports that three people have died.
Footage shows police officers pulling out guns and taking cover as shots were fired for at least 10 minutes.
One person is seen lying on the ground, unmoving and covered in blood, after gunfire, while armed officers run behind a bus.
A chilling video appears to show a man holding a large rifle-style weapon while taking cover behind a van.
Turkish interior minister, Mustafa Ciftci, said: ‘Three individuals who engaged in an armed clash with our police officers on duty in front of the Yapı Kredi Plaza Blocks in Istanbul have been neutralised.
‘In the clash, two of our heroic police officers sustained minor injuries.’
He labelled the suspects as ‘terrorists,’ saying they have been identified, the Middle East Eye reports.
One of the suspects allegedly has ‘ties to an organisation that exploits religion,’ the minister said.
Two of the men are brothers, he added.
Davut Gul, the Istanbul governor, said that one ‘terrorist’ was killed and two others neutralised with injuries.
‘This major attack was overcome with minor consequences thanks to the precautions taken by our police,’ he said.
Security measures in the area have been tightened after concern over further attacks, CNN Turkey reports.
There are reportedly no Israeli diplomats working in the Istanbul consulate or in the Israeli embassy in the capital Ankara, according to Al Jazeera.
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