Istanbul police were under attack after two attackers reportedly fired shots and raided their headquarters. The BBC reports that police shot the attackers in front of their headquarters in Istanbul.
Details on the shootout in Istanbul
Various reports indicate that one of the attackers was killed outside the police headquarters. Media reports indicate that the attackers were one man and one woman and that it was the woman who was killed. Officials reportedly found a bomb on her body in addition to the gun she was carrying. The male assailant escaped but was later said to be caught by security forces.
There are also reports that an officer was injured in the attack. CNN Turk cited Istanbul Gov. Vasip Sahin for these details. Other reports say two police officers were wounded.
Turkish prosecutor killed
Today’s gun attack at the Istanbul police station comes a day after a militant group took a Turkish prosecutor hostage. The group demanded that the police officers responsible for a 15-year-old boy’s death confess to the killing on live television.
According to Reuters, Turkish authorities are determined to find the “dark forces” behind the two gunmen who abducted the prosecutor. They belong to the Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party-Front, and they abducted Mehmet Selim Kiraz, the prosecutor who was heading up the investigation into 15-year-old Berkin Elvan’s death. The militant organization said the abduction was to avenge the boy’s death.
The Turkish prosecutor ended up being killed in a deadly shootout that ensued after a failed attempt to rescue him, reports various news sources.
