Three attackers opened fire at police outside a building housing the Israeli consulate in Istanbul on Tuesday, sparking a gunfight that left one attacker dead, Turkish officials said.
The two other assailants were captured with injuries, while two police officers sustained slight injuries in the clash, Istanbul governor Davut Gul told reporters.
The assailants were said to have been carrying long-barrelled weapons.
Interior minister Mustafa Cifti wrote on X that the attackers had travelled from the city of Izmit, some 60 miles (100km) east of Istanbul, in a rented car. One of the assailants was linked to a group he described as “exploiting religion”, without naming the organisation.
The so-called Islamic State (IS) group has carried out deadly attacks in Turkey in the past.
Two of the attackers were reportedly brothers and one had a criminal record related to drugs.
Video from the attack showed one assailant carrying what appeared to be an assault rifle, wearing a brown backpack, and hiding behind a bus while exchanging fire with police.
A police officer can be seen falling to the ground, apparently having been shot, and then rolling away to get behind a tree for cover.
The consulate is located in a high-rise building. Officials said there were no Israeli diplomats present in Israeli missions in Turkey. Israel withdrew its diplomats amid security concerns and deteriorating relations with Turkey, following the war in Gaza.
Turkey’s justice minister Akin Gurlek said three prosecutors, including a deputy chief prosecutor, had been assigned to lead an investigation.
Police sealed off the building and blocked several roads, while forensic experts in white protective suits combed the area for evidence.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan denounced what he said was a “treacherous” attack.
“We will resolutely continue our fight against all forms of terrorism, and we will not allow the climate of security in Turkey to be harmed by vile and timed provocations like today’s,” he said.
The US ambassador to Turkey, Tom Barrack, condemned the attack and praised Turkish authorities for “their swift and decisive response”.
“Attacks on diplomatic missions are attacks on the international order — and an assault on the principles that bind nations together,” he wrote on X.
Israel’s foreign ministry similarly condemned the attack and commended Turkish security forces for their rapid action.
