Three armed assailants launched an attack near the Israeli consulate in Istanbul on Tuesday, triggering a deadly gunfight with Turkish police that left one attacker dead and two others wounded.
The attackers arrived in Istanbul from the nearby city of Izmit in a rental vehicle, carrying long-barreled weapons and wearing camouflage clothing with backpacks. They opened fire on police outside the building housing the consulate in the Besiktas district around midday local time.
Two police officers sustained light injuries during the 10-minute exchange of gunfire. Video footage showed one officer taking cover behind a tree after being shot, while another pulled out his weapon as gunshots echoed through the commercial district.
The identities of the terrorists have been identified. It has been determined that the individuals, who arrived in Istanbul by a rental vehicle from Izmit, include one with ties to an organization that exploits religion; and it has also been established that one of the two terrorists, who are brothers, has a drug record
Mustafa Çiftçi, Interior Minister — The Independent
Turkish authorities identified two of the attackers as brothers, with one having previous drug-related convictions. Officials suggested links to a religious extremist organization but did not immediately name the group, though Turkish media speculated about possible Islamic State connections.
Frames the incident as a security matter within broader Turkey-Israel diplomatic tensions, emphasizing the attackers' identification and religious extremist connections. Contextualizes the attack within the deteriorating bilateral relationship since the Gaza war began.