A gunfire broke out at around 12.30 pm local time (GMT+3) outside the Israeli consulate in Beşiktaş, İstanbul, according to media reports. Police have been dispatched to the scene.
Two assailants were killed and another was wounded during the incident. Two police officers were also wounded.
The assailants used rifles during the arttack, the media reported. A police inquiry has been initiated into the incident.
No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.
The consulate is located in the Levent quarter, a business hub lined with high-rise offices. Several floors of a plaza building house Israel’s consulate.
The consulate has been largely vacant with no Israeli diplomats present, according to reports in the Israeli media.
Statement from justice minister
Justice Minister Akın Gürlek announced on social media that an investigation has been opened into the incident:
“The İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office has immediately launched an investigation into reports of gunfire near the Israeli Consulate in the Beşiktaş district of İstanbul.
“As part of the investigation, a deputy chief public prosecutor and two public prosecutors have been assigned; our public prosecutors promptly arrived at the scene and began their inquiries.
“In order to fully clarify all aspects of the incident, efforts are being carried out in coordination with the Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office and relevant law enforcement units, and the investigation is being conducted with meticulous care and from multiple angles.”
Details to follow…
Source: BIANET
