Istanbul: 3 Dead and Others Injured in Shooting Near Israeli Consulate

The Levent area in Istanbul witnessed a shooting incident near the Israeli consulate on Tuesday, resulting in the death of two individuals and serious injuries to a third, while two police officers were injured during a shootout with the attackers. Turkish authorities confirmed the arrest of the injured individual and his transfer to the hospital for questioning.

Abdul Azim Mohammed, Al Jazeera's bureau chief in Istanbul, explained that the incident lasted for more than five minutes, and the three attackers arrived at the site in a single vehicle, equipped in a quasi-military manner and carrying additional ammunition for their weapons.

Turkish security forces took control of the site immediately after the incident and began investigations to uncover the attackers' motives and whether they had potential accomplices. Mohammed noted that Turkish authorities are conducting a thorough search around the consulate as a precautionary measure, fearing the presence of supporting elements for the attackers.

The Turkish Minister of Justice assigned three prosecutors to investigate the circumstances of the incident, and the Istanbul Public Prosecutor's Office confirmed the initiation of an immediate investigation.

Official sources stated that there are currently no Israeli diplomats in Turkey, and no injuries have been reported among the Israeli consulate staff.

Turkish Interior Minister Mustafa Cevdet said that the three attackers are linked to an organization that exploits religion, and that two of them are brothers, while the third is undergoing intensive questioning to determine the motives behind the incident.