A shootout with police outside the Israeli Consulate in Istanbul left one gunman dead and two other assailants wounded on Tuesday, the region’s governor said, adding that two officers were also lightly wounded.
Interior Minister Mustafa Ciftci said on social media that authorities have identified the shooters.
He said the “terrorists” arrived in Istanbul in a rented vehicle from the neighboring city of Izmit, and that one was affiliated with an “organization that exploits religion,” without naming the group.
The interior ministry later said it was the dead gunman who “had connections with a terrorist group.”
Video shared by the Reuters news agency showed armed police taking cover amid the sound of gunfire.
The Israeli foreign ministry said on social media that it “strongly” condemned “the terrorist attack” on the consulate.
“We appreciate the Turkish security forces’ swift action in thwarting this attack,” it continued. “Israeli missions around the world have been subjected to countless threats and terrorist attacks. Terror will not deter us.”
There are currently no Israeli diplomats at any of Israel’s missions in Turkey, a source with knowledge of the situation told CBS News.
CBS News
